The Unexpected
by VivianaLockhart
Summary: I was wondering what if Jenny Shepard didn't die? What if for some reason I bring her back? I loved that character she was strong and fearless and she managed Gibbs in a way he couldn't resist. I always thought both have powerful eyes. Also, I might say this is a TIVA fanfic as well, so you'll find a lot of TIVA in it. Hope you like it.
1. Chapter 1

Something unexpected happened and only one man knows the truth and plans on keeping it that way for a while…

She was lying on the floor of an abandoned diner after a huge fight with the Russians; she was bleeding to death after receiving five gunshots and covered by some pieces of old wood. Mike Franks noticed her gasping for air, she wanted to tell him something but couldn't, he was always prepared to this kind of situations because his life was in constant jeopardy so he extracted a syringe with a chemical he once was told as a deep sedative just to make her comfortable, he imagined the excruciating pain she was experiencing, he showed the syringe to her and she nodded with her beautiful blue eyes. His last words for her were "he is in love with you, remember that when you two meet later". He meant in Heaven or wherever they meet. The liquid went directly through her veins and she just closed her eyes. Mike was feeling sick of doing it, so he decide to leave soon, he didn't want to explain everything to her agents in charge of escorting her.

She was found by her escorts, the ones in charge of her safety. As ironical as it sounds they were just arriving to her crime scene; it took them 2 seconds to find her without vitals. They just made the call and were ordered to stay there until the ME of town arrived.

The local ME arrived in no time and picked Director Shepard's body and went to local autopsy, while the agents stayed there to pick up the evidence and wait to new Director Vance. Director Vance was familiar in town so that' why the ME arrived promptly, it was better that way, no}t everyday a Director from a Federal Agency was killed and it would be the best day for the press to find out so even he didn't like Shepard, he respected her.

Back in autopsy, the local ME was unzipping the typical black body bag when he noticed something strange, the body was supposed to be mostly pale, but instead of having temperature decreasing it was going the other way, he couldn't explain the situation, it was odd and after a couple of minutes the same Jenny Shepard who was declared dead was showing slight signs of life. The doctor started to give her his whole attention, trying to get her back, giving her CPR, connecting her to machines (his weren't the best but could help her until the paramedics arrive) he couldn't believe what his eyes were witnessing, and it was impossible, never happened to him before but knew some colleagues who experienced this. He called 911 explaining the emergency operator the situation, he needed help quick, paramedics arrived in 2 minutes and started their work with the doctor, she was unconscious, lifeless but still there was something else to do. The ME went in the ambulance with the paramedics, he called Vance and told him the situation and Vance told him to keep it as secret as possible, they both didn't know the outcome of that miracle, so Vance decided to be as cautious as possible.

In the hospital, the emergency team couldn't believe the case, the extraordinary way of reaction of that body, even if it was for a little while, returning from the death was something the doctors at emergency were used to, but not when the body hit the autopsy area to come back to the living.

The ME was in charge of giving the details of that woman, he called her Josephine Sullivan, fr apparently no reason, she needed a new identity as Vance asked. Of course he needed to explain the gunshots, the origin of all her injuries but he just said he was about to start his autopsy when her body started to come alive bit by bit. He never had the chance to review the documents from the police or so. Just when he was being asked Vance arrived with a bunch of federals, including the FBI, and they took in charge of everything regarding that matter.

Back in the emergency room, the doctors try to stabilize her to be able to enter to the operation room, she needed surgery urgently, the surgeons weren't sure her body could resist such intervention but if she came from the death, they had a shot with her, so they just proceed. They never saw such a fighter, it was worth to try and save her life, even if she could stay comatose all her life.

The FBI and Vance agreed to keep everything out of the loop, it was better that way because the outcome was completely uncertain, besides, the Russians were still outside, that revenge wasn't over, Gibbs was next and he needed time to think what to do next to capture the Russians. Vance didn't know the reason at all the reason they have to kill Jenny Shepard, but he knew everything related to her was directly related to Gibbs too.

He also knew Gibbs would kill the bastard who did that to Jenny, so the main task was to focus on Jenny's wellbeing if that was possible. Her condition was critical to say the most and after what she's been through who knows what her life could be.

The entire situation made Vance think, he wanted Jenny's job so bad, but this weren't the conditions he expected, of course the competition was interesting and he knew his competitor was a fearless woman who climbed the row into politics with such elegance he was astonished, however, to reach that position by other circumstances wasn't the ideal but was what was happening now.

He also thought about the future, if Jenny gets through this he needed a plan to keep her safe to recuperate after all she's been through. The proximity between Gibb and Jenny was evident but dangerous; Vance wanted to direct the agency but he needed an ally and after the plans he had for Gibbs and his team, he knew eventually Jethro would be hi ally, so he decided to keep the secret about Jenny for as long as he could.

After several hours the surgeons finally finished with Jenny, she was in the ICU at least to get stable, it was uncertain if she would wake up again but the possibilities were there, as slight as they could be in that situation.

During Jenny's surgery, in Washington Gibbs met Mike Franks to know what the hell happened, he was pissed but mostly hurt, he loved her very much, he never told her that but he regretted not being honest with her, she deserved to know. They met in an alley, nobody was there except of them, Mike knew about Gibbs feelings towards Jenny and told him what he needed to know…

Mike: "Don't worry gunny, I told her how you feel before… you know…"

After that, Mike embraced his probie in a hug to comfort him. They chat a little bit, Gibbs knew, who was after Jenny was after him too. He didn't want to get Mike into this but Mike insisted and he knew how Mike was in these situations. Both did what they needed to do, the woman that appeared as expected in Jenny's house and Gibbs was there waiting for her, after a moment Mike shot her and that was it, the end of an era, Gibbs' revenge. Jenny didn't have close family to look after her, her house was beautiful and had a lot of memories and stuff, Gibbs decided to collect some of her stuff in a box he knew was close to Jen as he loved to call her, nobody would collect her stuff and for evidence purposes Gibbs and Mike needed to burn the house.

Mike and Gibbs part separately after burning the house listening to the sirens of the firefighters. They just said their good byes until who knows when.

Back in the hospital, three days has passed and it was time for a change of facility, the FBI was in charge of keeping her in the best conditions possible and only to report to Vance for that matter. Not even Fornell was aware of this situation and as Vance asked it was going to be that way, at least for a while.

Jenny was brought to a medical facility the FBI has for these secret cases, the condition of Jenny was stable but unconscious, the doctors evaluated her and were glad her physical injuries were improving but they weren't sure about when would she wake up. It was a mystery, the way the mind works is something unexpected and in this case the situation was way too delicate.

Back in Washington, the team came back from the funeral of Director Shepard, all of them were emotionally beaten and sad, the bullpen was quiet due to the situation. Gibbs as always was in his mute state, Abby was crying silently hugged by McGee and Ziva was in the same state as Abby without tears but she looked obviously sad trying to assure Tony it was not his fault.

None of them were expecting what was about to come in the next minutes Vance's secretary came down to tell Gibbs and the team that "Director Vance" wanted to see them at his office.

What happened inside it was shocking, Gibbs was about to say something but6 couldn't, Ziva dropped her eyes as a sign of defeat, McGee's face was unable to be read and Tony was pissed, it was totally unexpected. All the team got together at Abby's lab, she didn't want to let them go but sooner or later that was about to happen. Ziva was scheduled to board a plane in 6 hours so she was the first to go, Tony offered to go with her but since both had cars, she told her it wasn't necessary and to keep in touch as possible. McGee stayed with Abby until it was really late and he gave her a ride home and then headed home too. Tony went to his house to pack his things, make the arrangements for his apartment to be taken care of and brought his fish to McGee asking him to take care of Kate, and then he decided to go to Gibbs' before going to the ship he was about to board.

Everything seemed to be a mess, Tony couldn't believe his boss was doing nothing about the situation, what happened to jenny was too much to handle to actually fight for his team, maybe he was in love with Jenny after all.

Vance had other problems to deal with and by separating the team; he wanted to solve the major problem, treason.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I just wanted to warn you that I'm trying to get this story into Season 11 (episode 2) because I want to create an atmosphere in which Ziva could be returning after a secret mission ordered by Vance. In order to do that I've just implied the days, weeks and months has passed for team Gibbs.

As expected, what Vance ordered to do was done, Gibbs was leading a new team, Tony was working in a ship as Communications Officer, McGee had a geek team to lead, Ziva was working for her Dad at Mossad and Abby was heartbroken because she missed the old team so much she was about to lose her mind.

Other than that, they were just surviving to this new era of ex-team Gibbs. McGee was getting used to lead a team, his geeks called him BOSS which made him feel proud, Tony was bored to death, Ziva was getting into trouble as usual at Mossad because her father was always putting her in a position of jeopardy and Gibbs was annoyed with his new team since they were all probies.

A couple of months passed by and suddenly Gibbs saw the news at ZNN when there was a terrorist attack in Morocco and got worried when Ziva appeared in an ambulance gurney being attended by paramedics, because of a bomb. He got downstairs where McGee was located and asked to locate Ziva immediately, he did was his former boss asked and he finally got her on the line. Both talked and Gibbs was glad she was ok and without injuries. That day, he decided to confront Vance about the separation of his team and that's when he confessed his true intentions about Gibbs' probies.

A couple of months passed and Gibbs was able to reunite his team, finally the mole was located and apprehended so they didn't need to be separate anymore. Ziva came back from Israel, Tony came back from his ship, McGee left the geeks downstairs and everything got back to normal.

After what happened to the mole and how Vance trusted Gibbs, he started to trust in Vance too, although Mike Franks was always warning Gibbs to nor trust at all in Vance, his gut always leaded him to think that Vance could be everything but a traitor, so for his convenience it was better to have Vance by his side than against him.

In the meantime, Jenny Shepard was being installed in a Medical facility managed by the FBI, as Vance requested, she needed to recuperate if she ever get that chance and if she was surrounded by people who knew her, it might became anxious and decrease every chance to get better. Bit by bit she started to recuperate consciousness, her body was too weak to be able to even breathe, she was connected to monitors to help her breathe and stay alive, she opened her big blue eyes and two nurses were beside her, they instructed to keep calm and wait for the doctor to see what to do next.

The usual questions were asked…

Dr. Greene: "Ma'am? Do you know what happened?"

Jenny just stared at the doctor, like she wasn't understanding what he was saying.

Dr. Greene: "Miss Sullivan, you've been through a lot lately"

Jenny kept staring at him only closing her eyes and opening them again.

Dr. Greene observed her and noticed she was blinking which was something to stablish communication with the woman who came from the death.

Jenny kept blinking to get the doctor's attention, inside her head was a mess going on, she started to feel the pain, she wasn't sure why she was being called Miss Sullivan, she couldn't remember her name but one thing was sure, her last name wasn't Sullivan.

The doctor just tried to make her feel comfortable, he told her to calm down, that he would remove the tube after a couple of days because her breathing wasn't the best under the circumstances, that he was going to be there for her recovery and to try and get some rest.

The doctor ordered painkillers for her in a moderate dosage because she was shot 5 times and that was a lot for a human being. Day by day, she was being attended by the same doctor, the physical wounds were healing but the emotional and mental ones were the most difficult to heal. The wellbeing of Jenny was going to take a lot of time, physical and psychological therapy, besides the fact that she would be locked in that facility without seeing someone familiar.

At the Navy Yard…

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months and so on… Since Jenny's departure it's been 5 years of good and very bad things for team Gibbs.

At the medical facility…

Jenny has been attached to machines in an induced coma to let her body heal, five gunshots were something serious and even the surgery was successful it was really slight the chance of survival, after Dr. Greene got the results he needed he decided to wake her up as slowly as possible, now was the time to check her consciousness and start both physical and psychological therapy.

She was getting healthier and healthier in a physical point of view, after the induced coma. At the beginning, she had trouble breathing for a while but when she gained weight and strength she felt better. Although, she was in a state of mind in which she had moderate amnesia, she remembered her father as a High Officer of the Navy, she remembered being well educated and classy, she remembered her mother, she knew she was dead but she remembered things of her childhood, however, the details were blurry.

For a start she couldn't remember her name, she responded at the name of Josephine Sullivan because she wanted to investigate why those people were calling that name, she didn't remember her own but she knew it was not Josephine. She started her sessions with Dr. Cranston, she was assigned by Director Vance to treat Jenny and try to help her find her way back to what she used to be. For some reason, Jenny was reluctant to those sessions, physical therapy was exhausting but at the end of her boring days it was nice to have somebody to talk to and mostly if those talks would lead her to find herself again.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Since I mentioned Jenny was in a medical facility, it was at first, then when a patient like that (almost like under Whiteness Protection Program) gets a little bit better I suppose it's common to put him/her in a house and I've chosen a farm house totally away from any city at all. **

At the farm house…

Jenny started to heal mentally with Dr. Cranston help; she started to ask for books, first classic ones, like Shakespeare, Dickens, Wilde, Hemingway and Fitzgerald. It was obvious she was a well-educated woman, most of them she had already read but Dr. Cranston thought to help her remember she should read them again, she would feel better with herself to know she hasn't forgot everything.

After finishing an enormous amount of books related to classic literature; Dr. Cranston decided to try and bring her mind to her last years so she couldn't think about a better way that true reading books so in an attempt to light her mood a bit she brought the first book of Harry Potter. Of course it was a rare selection for a woman like Jenny Shepard but since those books were the sensation since 2001, she thought it could be a nice way to bring her to watch some movies also, she needed to distract her and make her mind strong, her body was improving, at least she was about to leave the wheelchair and start walking more regularly.

Dr. Cranston remembered the first time she stood up from the wheelchair, Jenny was a woman of determination, she was bored to death being in the wheelchair, she didn't know where she was located or how much time she would be there, but if there was one thing she knew is that she needed to gain mobility by her own, her physical internal injuries were healing slowly but with patience she could finally eat properly, walk properly and most importantly she could do things by her own. It was frustrating for her to let people help her with everything, even going to the bathroom was a shameful experience. Thanks God after a while she managed to handle herself in the wheelchair like a pro, however, the time to leave the chair was close, although she needed to embrace a cain, but if she would have to use a cain, it better be a stylish one. At that moment, she knew she was finding herself bit by bit, she started with difficult questions for Dr. Cranston:

Jenny (Josephine): "Rachel, I am kind of remembering things about me, bit by bit"

Dr. Cranston: "And what are you remembering lately?"

Jenny (Josephine): "I remember I like to dress classy and elegant, I like my make-up done by myself, I don't wear a lot, only what's necessary, I love stiletto shoes. Things like that"

Dr. Cranston: "Well, I think you're doing very good Josephine, those simple details of your previous life would help yourself understand all that have happened"

Jenny (Josephine): "Rachel, I also remember my house, the design, the furniture in there, specially the studio, I believe my father used to spend a lot of time over there"

Dr. Cranston: "Well, I'm glad you're finally getting your mind back together, although I know you might think you're ready to the next level but mental and emotional improvement should be increasing simultaneously with physical one. I guess you need to start going out for little walks in the farm, interact with the animals, I know the cain is something hard to manage in your condition, but in the first walks you can go with a nurse to help you until you feel like going alone"

Jenny (Josephine): "I'm so glad you're recommending that, I was about to lose my mind inside this house. I mean I don't want to be rude but I feel like it's been such a long time, although the doctors, nurses and security guards are lovely specially in occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, I feel like I'm getting their time with their families and I don't consider that fair"

Dr. Cranston: "Look, we are all here because we really want you to get healthy and become the woman you used to be"

Jenny (Josephine): "Well Rachel, I guess you better start with my real name because we both know I'm not Josephine Sullivan. Something really weird is happening here, I have surveillance 24/7, doctors and nurses had taken care of me like I'm involved in a Whiteness Protection Program and I'm starting to feel I have something to do with the government, am I wrong?"

Dr. Cranston: "Very good! Look, I need to talk to my boss and deliver him a report of your improvements regarding my field and he might consider letting me reveal some information. I'm not holding it from you, I just need clearance"

Jenny (Josephine): "Well, tell your boss he better give you clearance, because if or better said when I meet him I'll have a word with him"

That statement sounded as the Jennifer Shepard known at the Navy Yard, an intrepid woman whose expertise in politics could lead any man into darkness without complaining. Rachel Cranston was feeling good helping this woman come back from the death; her goal was to make Jennifer Shepard come back 100% recuperated. The task has been difficult but not impossible. Her time with Jenny Shepard was ending, she was told the sessions with her were about to end in a near future because Director Shepard needed to be prepared to what was about to come next and for that she will need another kind of Psychologist, Dr. Samantha Ryan, they both hated each other but both knew the quality of their work and so Rachel was glad Samantha will take over Jenny's case and go further, the idea of having to debrief her was making her nervous because the woman was always playing mind games, but Jennifer Shepard needed that kind of approach to improve her hid abilities in politics and strategically Samantha was the one for the job.

Before Dr. Cranston was about to leave, Jenny asked her to bring some books:

Jenny (Josephine): "By the way, could you get me some Geography Books, the History Books has been delightful, but I love reading about different places of the world, if you don't mind of course"

Dr. Cranston: "It's always a pleasure dear"

With that, Dr. Cranston left the house leaving a pleased Jenny with her last findings about her life. Jenny knew she was improving and having Rachel said that was refreshing.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter seems to be a compilation of what happened in Season 10, I know most of you could find it boring but I feel like to be able to get to the path I'm looking for this story I needed to do that, so sorry if you don't like it. Also, this chapter is the beginning of a couple of chapters full of TIVA.**

In the meantime, back in the Navy Yard…

Between the murders of Eli David that took Vance's wife life in the middle, the team was almost broken, Ziva's mind was lost, the only thing in her mind was revenge, Tony was getting close to Ziva and as expected offered her his total support to whatever she wanted to do, even if it needed some broken rules, he didn't care anymore. Even McGee was willing to help her, they were very close to Ziva and knew if she has to do it alone she will but it was better if they cover her back in case she gets blind with revenge. Vance got injured in the attack, he was recovering physically because emotionally he was a total mess, he was in charge of getting his life together for his kids and that precise moment when his wife was being buried he understood what was ahead of him, a life he never expected to have. Being the Director of a Federal Agency he was the one always in jeopardy, he never thought he'll be the one burying his wife in front of his kids, it was too much to handle, he needed a plan to get everything together and survive because now life had a different perspective in front of his eyes, it wasn't as pleasant as it had been the past years with Jackie by his side, this time everything was different.

The days passed by, Tony got Schmeil to take care of the emotional state of Ziva, Tony couldn't have been better with that decision because even Tony wanted to be the one supporting Ziva emotionally, she wasn't open up with him, so he did what he thought was the best decision, calling Schmeil. It was a lie he was in town, Tony got him a plane ticket and made him come from Israel, Tony had a good heart and Schmeil knew that and accepted immediately.

Tony had reserved a flight to Israel to attend Ziva's father funeral, even the man was an ass with him, he respected him, besides he was the man of the woman he loved very much and as a gesture of support he felt it was his duty to be there, besides he wanted to, but Ziva knew she needed to make peace with him, with herself and couldn't ask of such gesture from Tony, for now she wasn't in the mood of thinking about him. So she refused his offering of going with her, deep inside she wanted to rest in his arms and forget about everything but she knew it wasn't the time or the place, so she left for a funeral of another family member.

After a week, Ziva was back, not in her 100% emotional state but seemed she was in peace; however, some subtle aspects that Tony noted weren't quite normal if it was possible in Ziva's case. At the same time, an investigation was being started by a man named Parsons, while he was trying to get information about the agency; Ziva was getting more information about who was behind his father assassination discovering it was Ilan Bodnar, the one who got her father killed.

She couldn't believe it, he was like a son for her father, how on earth he had the balls to kill her father was beyond her understanding however she also had the guts to find revenge without killing him but making him go to court and be processed judicially. If it would have happened when she was Mossad, she would have just killed the bastard but her years at NCIS as a Field Agent taught her to react differently, guys like Bodnar should be put in jail instead of giving them the pleasure of being admired as some sort of heroes. She knew better this time, or so she thought.

After tailing Ziva, Tony discovered she was being helped by McGee, he couldn't believe it, Tim was breaking rules for Ziva and he was kept out of it, he was jealous but since he found out too, there was nothing they could do to keep him away; he wanted to help as well and she let her in. By the information Tim recollected seemed Bodnar was in Germany, even they wanted to go after Bodnar going to Germany was something they needed help with, all three decided to go to Gibbs and tell him everything, he just agreed to let Ziva and Tony go to Berlin to get info and if it was possible to capture him. The trip was unnecessary, Bodnar never left US soil after the attack, and so after some sort of closeness between Tony and Ziva, they came empty handed regarding Bodnar but they bonded in such a way none of them was aware of.

After the car accident that involved Tony and Ziva, she was recovering from her injuries in a very odd way, Tony noticed and was concerned about her wellbeing, and Gibbs joined the search for Bodnar before it was too late. Finally, Ziva finds him and after struggling both of them in a ship about to go to Africa, he falls or Ziva pushes him, God only knows and Bodnar finally dies falling from a very high platform. By that time, the team has broken some rules in order to get Bodnar. Vance just asked Ziva if it was over, and she answered "it's over" and with that what seems to be a peaceful time turns into a witch hunt, apparently towards Ziva and Vance but later it was Gibbs the subject of the investigation Parsons started. At that point the team resigns and Ziva gets back to Israel to think about what to do with her life.

In Israel…

At the beginning it seemed she just wanted to feel like home for just some time, all her close relatives were dead, she needed to find her roots and get some peace and the time was perfect, she had resigned, she knew sooner or later Gibbs' situation would be resolved and her sort of vacations will end. However, the more she stays in Israel the more uncertain she was about getting back. Indeed the experience as an Agent was different as the experience as a Mossad Officer, however, sometimes for brief moments she felt the same being in Mossad or NCIS and that terrified her. She started to think about all the terminations she has been part of, all the assignments her father asked her to work on, how many times she killed people in order to have the members of her team back and all the feelings, the nightmares and her self-pity got back in a huge wave she couldn't take it anymore.

Back in the Navy Yard…

Every time Ziva was in Israel, something bad always happened, it's like Israel was the place that gets Ziva into trouble and Tony sensed this time was no different. He was waiting for news from her; finally he got her in a chat conversation:

Ziva: "Sorry I missed you"

Tony: "Where are you?"

Ziva: "On a bus to Tel Aviv"

Tony: "Tel Aviv? Exploring your roots?"

Ziva: "Something like that. Reconnecting. Thinking."

Tony: "Thinking about?"

Ziva: "At the moment, you. You and a million other things. I heard about SecNav."

Tony: "They haven't called us in."

After that chat conversation Tony decides to book a flight to Tel Aviv, Israel to be with her and to find out about them as "together". Just when he was daydreaming bullets start flying into his apartment, so he realized Parsons was after the whole team, in consequence Ziva was in jeopardy too. The only thing he thought he could do to protect her was to call Adam, as much as he hates the idea of having to talk to him, it was necessary for Ziva's sake. He just called him asking for him to track Ziva without putting her in harm. The enemies were a step ahead of both Tony and Adam and they' didn't even know by the time. Hopefully, Ziva had been warned soon enough to kill her attackers, but now Tony doesn't know where she is, because she just left without leaving a trace.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter is a TIVA one. Even you might think you know everything that happened there in Season 11 episode 2, I have added some other things I would have liked to happen. I'll be getting back to Jenny Shepard in later chapters.**

Tony landed in Tel Aviv knowing that sooner or later he would find her, he turned into Orli Elbaz, the only one who could possibly help him in a country he barely knows, with her help and Adam's he started a search that took him a few weeks because he needed to enter in her head and think like her, he finally did it and that was the way to find her. He found her at the house where she was born, a new beginning, some place to reconnect, to think, to find peace.

Ziva was there; her expression was unreadable, even for him. He just stayed, in silence, trying to figure out how to get to her, it was harder than he thought. He avoided Gibbs as much as he could, he wanted more time, he needed more time to convince her to come back to DC, to his life even if she didn't want to go back to NCIS, he needed her and for now was afraid she'll never be his, as a whole.

Days passed by and Gibbs was getting impatient, finally one last video chat and Tony was warned to get the hell back to DC. Ziva was there, but hid, because she didn't want to have the awkward conversation with Gibbs, it was too much for her when her mind was concerned in a million thoughts.

Without even noticing, both Tony and Ziva started to behave like a married couple. The first day Tony arrived, Ziva was being skeptical about him staying there, she was pushing him out but he was determined to make Ziva open up, it was a hard task but he knew he needed to do it. At the beginning he started cleaning the house, putting in order the furniture over there, trying to fix the sink, things many men do at home. Ziva was lost in her thoughts for a while, asking him numerous times to just leave, but he was acting like he wasn't even listening to her pleas. He decided to go to a grocery store, to buy some things. For that he sat in the couch where she was and told her:

Tony: "Ziva, I know you want to think about many things and re-start your life and I'm proud you want to do this but you should do it properly" he was concerned and so he said this looking her in the eye.

Ziva: "Tony, you need to go, I am not going anywhere, and I will stay here for a while until I figure out what to do with my life"

Tony: "And I support that, but if you're staying here, at least, let's go to a grocery store and buy some things for the house. I would go alone but you know I'll receive a few punches because my primitive Hebrew could offend people here" by then he was throwing Ziva his one million dollar smile.

Ziva couldn't help but half smiled by his comment. He was right, Tony knew barely 2 or 3 phrases in Hebrew, he would hardly get some things to the house because of it, and since he was accepting the fact that she was staying, she felt that Tony was right, she needed things in the house to start over, so she accepted.

Ziva: "Yes, you are right Tony but I will drive"

With that, Tony felt this first step was a little triumph for his mission, at least seemed she wasn't disappearing from him, she wasn't running away from him, she just wanted to stay in that house, away from pain, from the city, from Mossad and from NCIS, but not from him.

Tony expected the drive to be like Fast and Furious 10 in Israel, but for the very first time, the drive was calmed, quiet and safe. Both were in silent, he tried to chat a little but when she didn't paid attention to him, that was the clue to stay remain in silent and to not bother her.

Ziva drove to a small village, it had a huge market and a lot of people. The female customers were always looking at Tony, it was obvious he attracted the look of those females. At the beginning, Ziva didn't notice, until they entered into the market and some women started to bring him fruit, to smile at him and of course being Tony Dinozzo he couldn't help but smile back. When Ziva noticed, she started to roll her eyes and half smile a little, she couldn't believe how on earth he could have that way with women, even in her country, it was just crazy.

That situation generated another conversation between them:

Tony: "Can you imagine how nice are Israeli chicks? Never thought they were so friendly" By that Tony was smiling at Ziva in a way she could also melt immediately.

Ziva: "I remember being nice to you when we met" She said with that look that yells –as a matter of fact-

Tony: "Wow, was that nice?" He was just teasing her; he needed to remind her how easy going life could be, especially by his side.

Ziva: "Well, if you want I can tell any of these women that you are available for marriage, you might get surprised of how possessive an Israeli woman could be"

Tony was taking precautions on how to answer Ziva, so he went with his:

Tony: "I'm not available for marriage with them my sweet cheeks, if I'm gonna get married it would only be with you" That was it; he said smiling at her, as it was just nothing. He wanted to light the mood by being direct but not too serious, just like any other thing he could say to Ziva in a normal day. Of course, inside his head the thing was different, he was afraid, terrified she'll run away after hearing those words. However, at first she opened her chocolate eyes as if she was about to say something, but she was too shocked to say a word. A lady in her mid-40s understood what Tony said and with lovely eyes stared at Tony and Ziva and just smiled, then she grabbed Ziva's hand for a brief second as a loving gesture and kept going.

Ziva was surprised by the touch of that woman, if her mother was alive she would have the same age as the woman who touched her. At that moment, she thought about her mother, how great as a mother in law would be to Tony, and how great she would be with their kids, how hard she would adjust in America. She couldn't believe what she was thinking, she was letting her mind play games without even noticing, she didn't deserve to even imagine being happy, but the thought was making feel hopeful for the future and that was a good start.

Tony just stared at her, with loving eyes, smiling a bit Ziva couldn't resist anymore, she smiled back, a sad smile, but at least a smile. For Tony, it was better than nothing. Last time Tony was in Israel, he couldn't stay long to eat some from the greatest Israeli cuisine he insisted Ziva to cook traditional meals so he could learn more about Israel because it was important to him. Ziva was glad he wanted to know more about her country, it was a nice gesture and since he was being so patient with her she decided to please Tony with what he asked for. She also bought things as soap, shampoo, conditioner, cologne, those kind of stuff. Tony noticed she was buying for her so he just asked…

Tony: "What about me? I don't think I'll be using Coconut and Honey Shampoo or a soap with Rose fragaaance" He said it in an annoyed tone of voice to tease Ziva about it.

Ziva: "You are not staying" she said with a blunt tone of voice.

Tony: "Miss David, are you saying you're planning on abandoning me in the middle of the road?" apparently he was feeling offended but then he played his puppy eyes card and she couldn't help it.

Ziva: "Just a few days Tony, I mean it!" With that she started to collect some things for him, asking from time to time if it was ok with him or not. He didn't care about the stuff, he was glad he won his first battle with her.

After buying a lot of things, Ziva decided if he was staying at least giving him he a tour would be a nice thing, she was driving calmly and was explaining some things about her country, about the fields that were observing, about their customs and she was glad Tony was all ears for a change. He was usually the chatty one but now he was just listening to what she had to say.

They finally arrived to the house. Tony was all helpful with the multiple bags they brought. They went to the kitchen. They were about to put everything in the cabinets and in the small refrigerator when Tony said it was too messy there and even him has its limits, so both started to clean the kitchen. It was funny for Ziva to see Tony cleaning with her. She always thought he was one of those guys who hire help for it but from the way he was doing all the cleaning she was discovering an unknown side of Tony. He didn't notice she was staring at him, he kept cleaning everything, she was doing it too, and it was amusing how Tony was trying to figure out the meaning of the cleaning products because they were in Hebrew. Ziva was explaining him the products and its use and both got the kitchen all cleaned up and ordered.

Both were exhausted, so Tony decided to make some pasta and he made her promise to cook some traditional meal next day. Cooking pasta was one of the things he enjoy the most and to cook for her was even better.

Ziva was amused of Tony's behavior, he was unusually quiet, focused in his cooking event he told her to go and relax, maybe get a bath, to take her time and just live a little. She never understood what would that mean, but for now she was glad he was there. She remembered telling him he was staying for few days but never discussed the nature of his stay. Things needed to be said and during dinner would be the perfect time for it, for now a nice bath seemed like a good idea to relax and live a little.

After one hour dinner was ready, Ziva emerged from her room with a black t-shirt and sweat pants, she had a towel in her head and went to the dining area…

Ziva: "Uhmmm… that smells good" she motioned herself through the dining are reaching the kitchen. Tony had a small towel in his shoulder and was turning the stove off.

Tony: "Everything for my lady" he was emulating a Prince in charm armor so he became as always a teaser.

Ziva couldn't resist his charm, even she was there to think, she never expected to play house with Tony in Israel in the house she was born. However, this side of Tony, the concerned one, the considerate one, was something she could be used to.

Ziva looked refreshed by the bath but Tony looked like hell, he hadn't taken a shower since the day he left DC and he wasn't willing to share a meal in that condition, so he asked Ziva if he could take a quick shower before eating and she agreed and told him she'll be preparing the table and opening the wine.

Tony took a quick shower and went to the dining are in sweat pants and a white t-shirt, seemed it was the dress code for the night.

After Ziva complementing Tony of his cooking skills when it comes to pasta, Tony explaining the recipe of his Grandma and Ziva thanking him for sharing the secret of the recipe and for the meal the polite stuff was getting fewer and fewer, so Tony decided to get straight to the point…

Tony: "Look, I know what you've been through the last couple of months, in fact I know what you've been through from the moment I met you for the very first time until now, I can only imagine how was your life since you were born until you talked me about phone sex when we met, but sometimes my little Ziva, we need to decompress, to stop whatever we're doing and just live our lifes. This dinner is just a dinner between two people who know each other better than anyone else, and that's it. Nothing more, nothing else. Besides, this is not the first time we share dinner right?" Tony said the whole speech in a very light tone of voice, he wanted to make Ziva feel like it wasn't a big deal he was there sharing a meal with her.

Ziva: "Right, but…" Ziva was about to become argumentative but Tony just put a fork full of pasta in her mouth as a signal of 'shut up'. She opened her big chocolate eyes and since he was throwing to her his one million smile, she couldn't help but keep eating.

Tony: "See? It tastes great, isn't it?"

By then, Ziva was smiling, she knew he would keep doing it if she kept trying to push him out of her life, he will come over and over again, so she decided to do what was being told, to enjoy the meal and have a good time.

After a couple of bottles of wine and all the pasta they could eat, both started doing the dishes, together. Ziva insisted in doing herself but Tony told her they would do everything together no matter what. Tony's intention was to let her know he was always there for her and all she needed was to realize that.

Since there was no television in that house, Tony had an idea for soothing the mood of Ziva, he told her to sit next to him so in order to distract her he would talk to her about a movie and she would talk to him about a book. It took them a couple of hours more to complete the task, both were exhausted and about to doze off when Ziva said:

Ziva: "Tony, I know we have not discussed the nature of your visit but I do think we both are aware that at some point you will have to get back to DC"

Tony: "Sweet cheeks, let's say I'm on a longed vacation and I'm intending to enjoy it as much as possible"

Ziva: "But Tony…"

Tony put a finger in Ziva's lips as a signal of silence and said…

Tony: "Since I don't have more pasta to kindly shut you up, the only thing I have is this…" he approached his face to Ziva's and kissed her in the lips, it was a little peck but it was just perfect. The moment was magical, full of emotion, at the beginning both were resting each other heads just to keep the gap between them as short as possible but that awkward silence when a guy hopes he did the right thing and the girl hopes she understood his intentions very well ends up with the willingness of the girl wanting for more.

This case was the perfect one, Ziva started to explore Tony's face with his 3 days beard, the hair in his beard was soft, she was caressing his face with her hands, with both of them, in that moment she realized he was finally hers, she was exploring his features, she was looking to him directly in the eyes, those green eyes that make her melt like butter in a hot pan, his nose which in her opinion has personality, his mouth from which could emerge the most incredible voice, it wasn't the time, it wasn't the place, but it felt freakily right at the moment. Ziva was the one breaking the gap and with her hands in Tony's face she started to kiss him. He was totally unaware of willingness that her kiss took him by surprise, he not only deepened the kiss but put his hands in Ziva's waist, just to make sure she couldn't run away, just to make sure he was there for her.

They kept exploring each other mouths, faces, as she did, Tony started exploring Ziva's hair, it was something he always wanted to do, to touch all those messy curls, to find out why on earth they smelled like coconut and honey, he discovered that in the market. He wanted to touch her beautiful shoulders that whenever they were bare were the most beautiful he ever saw. He kept kissing her but the urge of getting more was killing him, his hands started to explore her bare back under her t-shirt, he didn't want to rush things, he was just discovering her bit by bit.

Ziva was taken by surprise when she felt his hands under her t-shirt, she thought he'll be willing to undo her bra but instead he played with it teasing her as if he was about to undo it or not, deciding it wasn't the time yet. Both started to tease each other, her hands started to explore his body under his t-shirt this time. She could tell he was in shape and with some hair in his chest which was really sexy for her, his back was also soft, her hands were caressing his back with little massages in circles, he wasn't complaining, he was just enjoying the moment.

Tony wanted to keep the pace of their moment but needed to remind Ziva the importance of living life without thinking about NCIS and rules or Mossad and fathers…

Tony: "See Ziva? There's nothing bad in enjoying life without thinking about anything else"

He kept caressing her body, by then Ziva was intoxicated with Tony's touch, she was willing to whatever he had in mind, he was expecting for her to lead the way, he didn't want to rush things but if she was willing to lead the way of whatever they had, it was more than fine for him.

Ziva turned herself into that sensual woman she has always been regarding Tony, she was always provoking him in the past and those moments were a few but intense, so this time without rules, fathers and whatever thing that was in the middle before they both started the dance they've done for years, but this time was real, was really happening and both were in that stage of exploring each other, every touch, every whisper, every proximity, was fire between them.

Ziva grabbed his hand gently and kissed it inviting him to the bedroom, as she was leading he just said…

Tony: "Miss Daaaavid, are you inviting me to your room? What an honor my lady" he said in a teased voice.

Ziva looked at him, raised one of eyebrow and rolled her eyes saying: "You rather sleep in the couch mon petit pois?" she was teasing him also.

Tony: "Never"

With that, both entered the room to finally be together without inhibitions, without rules, without fathers, without other people involved, just the two of them and the love they shared for long time ago.

The love making was magical, intense, romantic and full of emotions, she never imagined to be able to love and be loved that way. If for some reason she was sure of what she wanted to do with her life, now it was another story. For the first time she felt something completely different, she felt whole by Tony's side, she felt safe, loved, beautiful, sexy and hot.

The days passed by, Tony had a strategy to make her come back, or so he thought, he was silently showing Ziva how was to be with him in a deep way, not just the class clown or the immature guy, he was a complete different man when he was with her. Both started a routine that included running in the early morning, getting showered, fixing breakfast, doing some errands, visiting touristic places and getting back to the house, having lunch, talking, making love and sleeping in each other´s arms.

Life seemed perfect in Israel except for the fact that Gibbs kept calling Tony and asking to get his butt in DC at the end of the week or to not come at all. Ziva heard the video chat conference between Gibbs and Tony, she knew the perfect life of them for the past two weeks was over by the end of that week, she knew Tony would insist on getting back together to DC but she needed to be there for a while to find herself, to heal emotionally to be able to be the woman Tony needed. She wanted make him proud of her and for that she needed to heal inside.

A conversation about the matter was in order and Tony hated to put Ziva in such a place but he was running out of time and so he decided to take her outside trying to avoid stress, he noticed whenever she was outside under the trees she felt relaxed, calmed.

Tony was the first to talk…

Tony: "My sweet Ziva, these couple of weeks has been amazing, I got to know in a way I never imagined in my entire life. We've lived together as a married couple, sharing moments and situations that are entitled to those who are together. I know you need time, to adjust to the idea, to heal inside for all that have happened and to find your way ack. I'm so proud of you, I know you don't feel that way, but I do. I've been watching you since you put a foot the bullpen. Never thought I would fall in love this hard for you but I do and I can't feel happier about that fact. We've always had bad timing and bad location, but now we can make it better Ziva, you and I, together, as always. So I'm not used to beg but if I have to I will, please come back with me, heal over there, if you don't want to get back to NCIS, ask for a license and figure it out but there, close to me, I need you. I thought I could be strong and leave you here for a while but the truth is I can't my love, I just can't" After he finished he had tears forming in his eyes, she was torn by his words, she was about to give up, but she knew she needed to be a better woman for him, she needed to figure it out by herself even if she was madly in love with him, she just said.

Ziva: "Tony, since the beginning I told you I weren't going back, at least not for now, you knew I wasn't going and that's why I asked you to get back immediately, I wanted to avoid this, the sadness I'm provoking. See? I only make you feel miserable"

Tony: "I don't feel miserable. I had the best couple of weeks of my life! Never been happier, but I want that every day of my life, not only a couple of weeks." By then he grabbed her by the waist in a gentle way, trying to make her change her mind by having him closer.

Ziva: "My love, these couple of weeks I've known you in a way I didn't and I'm grateful of that, this glimpse of what our life together could be gives me hope that I can change, I can be a better woman for me, for you and maybe for what's to come, maybe little Dinozzo's running like crazy around the house. See? I'm feeling better, but in order to get to that point, I need to redeem myself, I've killed to many people under Mossad orders and for the last years in my work as an NCIS Agent I've realized, the motives Mossad had for those assassinations called terminations were far from fair" she had a calmed voice but also a firm one.

Tony: "But you were following orders" by then he was trying to make her reason without success.

Ziva: "I was following orders indeed but I've been asking myself lately how the families of the people I killed felt at the moment, they were fathers, sons, nephews, cousins of other people"

Tony: "I know but…" he was interrupted by Ziva's touch, she was caressing his face, he had that three days beard, so soft, so manly, she couldn't resist but touch it with care with love.

Tony: "I know it's hard. I'm fighting for you Ziva"

Ziva: "I know!"

With that, Tony realized he wasn't going to convince her to go with him, at least he could ask for a promise, a promise of love, a promise of get together again and never fall apart, what they had was beyond borders, beyond time, beyond Mossad, NCIS or Gibbs for that matter.

Tony: "I guess, tomorrow I'll be leaving by now"

Ziva: "I guess so"

Tony: "I won't leave without a promise, a promise of love"

Ziva: "Tony, I can't promise when I'll be back in your life because I don't really know, what I can do is to promise to be back someday, I promise I'll get better, I'll redeem myself through things that matter like helping people, doing some voluntary work. I promise not to be in harm to be able to get back to you, I promise my love for you will only increase by the distant and the time"

Tony: "Ziva, I promise I'll wait all the time you need, I promise I'll be making of me a better man for myself, for you and for our upcoming little Dinozzos. I promise to stay alive to meet you whenever you decide it's time and I promise to buy a king size bed for the both of us" With the last remark he wanted to light the mood a little bit, she was in tears and so was he but he wanted to remind her the man he already was, the man who rescued her from Saleem in Africa, the man who used McGee sound system to put opera the day Ziva's was celebrating Tali's birthday, the man who called Schmeil when her father died, the man who was always willing to drop her dates just to spend time with her watching a movie, he was that kind of man and he wanted her to remember him that way.

Next day she drove Tony to the airport, the drive was silent, Tony's hand was always on Ziva's shoulder, tears were forming in her eyes, when she reached the airport, one of her tears just dropped from her right eye, Tony just caressed her chin as a signal of understanding. He felt defeated by destiny, he knew both will get reunited later but with Ziva it could be weeks, months, or years and he was afraid of that fact.

Their last goodbye was full of emotion, they both embraced and sealed their love with a couple of sweet and deep kisses, he just grabbed her hair full of curls and she just grabbed him by the waist with her right arm and by the neck with her left arm, as if she was about to make him stay, but what she really wanted is to deep the kiss and show him whether or not they were in the same continent they will always be together.

Finally, the plane was about to leave and he just started walking looking at her all the time just saying "Hardest 180 of my life", climbed the stairs until he got to the top, one last look at the love of his life and got into the plane. Ziva was in tears by then, trying to smile a little just to make sure he'll buy it and get into the plane, but the truth hit her hard. She felt she deserved to suffer like that for all the atrocities she did in the past in the name of Mossad, all the families she pulled apart, the pain of letting your love one go to another place very far was just the beginning of her journey, her self-discovering journey.

She stepped in her car, she couldn't even start the engine, she was suffering a lot, she started crying out loud, like she was physically injured, she couldn't help herself, she cried for an hour or so, the place was already gone and with it the love of her life.

In the plane, Tony was daydreaming of what he lived with Ziva these couple of weeks and suddenly he found her Star of David necklace and remembered Ziva saying she rather kill herself but taking that necklace off however, here it was, her favorite necklace, it was her way of sealing their promise, she'll be back no matter what and for that he was hopeful.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for the review, even if some of you don't like the way I write, I wish I could please all of you but I'm just a fan trying to cope with the departure of Cote de Pablo from what it used to be my fav show. I'm also proficient in Spanish which is my mother tongue, however, since I know some English I decided to post these fanfics in that language. In this chapter I'm getting back to Jenny Shepard also.

Back in the Navy Yard…

Dr. Cranston paid a visit to Vance to brief him about Jenny's progress, she needed clearance to reveal her real name, her progress was impressive due to the severe injuries she had and especially the trauma she suffered.

At the beginning Rachel Cranston started to fill Vance in the development of Jenny's progress, she was talking and talking but she noticed he was distracted, he was even pale and thinner than she remembered, she decided to stop talking about Jenny and start talking about what was going on.

Dr. Cranston: "Director Vance are you okay?"

Director Vance: "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's begin"

Dr. Cranston: "I've started 10 minutes ago, that's why I was asking if you were fine?"

Director Vance: "These days have been really hard on the kids and myself. It would have been the 42nd birthday for Jackie"

Dr. Cranston: "I'm sorry"

Director Vance: "It's okay. We just need to adjust to this new life"

Dr. Cranston: "How much have you been feeling tired or weak? You seem pale and thinner than I remember"

Director Vance: "I haven't eaten well in the last month, I guess I better take care of myself"

Dr. Cranston: "You really need to do that Director Vance, maybe taking some time off could be a good thing"

Director Vance: "Maybe in a later time, with the attack and everything I've been out of the office too much. So, how's Ms. Sullivan?"

Dr. Cranston: "Speaking about that, you better stop calling her that, she knows that's not her name. She can't remember her real name but she's sure is not Josephine Sullivan. She asked for her real name last session."

Director Vance: "And what did you answer?"

Dr. Cranston: "The truth, I told her I needed clearance to reveal it"

Director Vance: "But, that would imply she's hidden. Haven't she asked something about it?"

Dr. Cranston: "She believes she's in some sort of Witness Protection Program. However, I'm starting to think she might know more about herself, maybe she suspects she works for the Government or something like that"

Director Vance: "She's a damn intelligent woman, I wouldn't be surprised if by now she knows more things about herself. She's always pushed herself a lot to accomplish what she had, to be the first woman head of a federal agency"

Dr. Cranston: "She's very perseverant, with everything. For example, I brought her books for at least a couple of weeks and she finished reading them in 5 days, the physical therapist was asking her for 20 repetitions and she was always doubling those, I'm telling you, she wants to fully know who she was and what was doing when the attack happened"

Director Vance: "I guess it's time to pay her a visit, she might remember me, I would like to be the one revealing more details about her"

Dr. Cranston: "I think it's a good idea, I'd like to be present just to find out if seeing you help her remember things of her past"

Director Vance: "Good. On the other hand, I think it'd be good for Jenny to move to other place, I've been thinking about Paris, it's a nice city and I'm sure she'll remember more there. I've contacted Dr. Ryan, she's over there and will be able to continue your work".

Dr. Cranston: "Excellent, I think it's a good idea. I'll contact Samantha to brief her about her case, it's a very long case so I better start tonight"

Director Vance: "You better prepare to go to Paris with Shepard, I think you could brief Dr. Ryan in person and make Shepard comfortable with the change of scenarios"

Dr. Cranston: "As always, you're right Director Vance. But please, take my advice and go see a doctor, ok?"

Director Vance: "I will"

With that, Dr. Cranston left Vance's office, she knew her time with Jenny Shepard was ending, she was kind of nostalgic already, during the last four years she's been not only her Psychologist but she'd become a friend for her, in a way of course and now that she's moving to other continent to keep going with her total recovery she knew she was going to miss her.

Rachel Cranston took the stairs instead of the elevator, she was going down the bullpen, lost in her thoughts when Gibbs almost stormed on her, he was in his way to Vance's office when he stopped…

Gibbs: "Whoa… Lost in thought Rachel?"

Rachel Cranston was surprised by Gibbs approach; however she was a pro when it comes to poker faces, so she just kept up with the sudden conversation…

Dr. Cranston: "Something like that. How are you Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs: "Me? Fine. You?"

Dr. Cranston: "Great"

Gibbs: "Something happens with the Director?"

Dr. Cranston: "I guess you'll never know" she said with –as a matter of fact- look. He knew if there's was a problem with Vance, Rachel wouldn't reveal it, it's a professional thing and he knew better, if he wanted to find out about Vance he better do it by himself.

Gibbs: "I guess I see you around?"

Dr. Cranston: "Something you wanna share Agent Gibbs?" she knew if she pushes him a little he'll stop asking her whatever he wants to ask.

Gibbs: "Nah…"

With that, Gibbs kept climbing the stairs in Vance's office direction and Rachel Cranston just left leaving a very confused McGee watching the whole interaction.

Later that day, Rachel was getting all the paperwork together regarding Jenny's case, she knew in a couple of days Vance would go with her to the house in which Jenny was staying and probably wanted to review all the things that has been going on during her long treatment for her recovery. She also needed to get some geography books as promised, so she went to the library and got them for Jenny, she knew as an avid reader she was, she needed to get a lot of them.

Back in the farm house…

Jenny was thinking about what would have been her life, if she was married or had kids, for some odd reason those thoughts came to her mind out of the blue, she was trying to figure out deep inside who was she in the past. She was looking at her scars, she was trying to remember what happened 6 years ago, she looked herself in the mirror, she noticed some small wrinkles, she was getting older and even so, she was missing being normal, being who she really was.

A nurse told her she needed to pack, she was being move to other facility, she would be working (as they usually name what was going on there) with other people. This took Jenny by surprise, she wasn't expecting to be moved in such rush, she started packing the few things she had, the books and magazines were her very much appreciated belongings.

Next day…

Jenny woke up as usual, 05:00am in the morning; she was definitely a morning person. She noticed lately that one of the things she appreciated was a good coffee first thing in the morning, it was one of those pleasures in life that should be patented for every person in the world. The people working for Jenny's recovery have discovered some things about her, she liked a touch of vanilla in her coffee, just to make it less bitter but still bitter enough to feel that sensation in her mouth. Once in a while she liked a bagel but she was mostly aware of eating healthy, a couple of toasts with strawberry marmalade were nice and also a glass of orange juice.

Her routine was doing physical therapy in the early morning like walking outside in the field, sometimes she went with the cain sometimes she felt strong enough to go outside without it, she was also doing some weights and some concentration exercises with specialized equipment.

After a couple of hours doing her physical therapy, she was taking a shower and changing and about to get her orange juice when Rachel Cranston arrived with someone by her side. She noticed he was the one in charge because his posture, his strong look and also she noticed he knew her.

Dr. Cranston: "Hello Josephine, how are you feeling today?"

Jenny (Josephine): "Rachel, I think we agreed I wasn't Josephine or I rather call you Penelope"

That comment made Vance raise an eyebrow, the sarcastic tone of voice of Jenny was getting back and that was a good sign that she was recovering completely.

Dr. Cranston: "Let me introduce you to Leon Vance, Director of NCIS"

Jenny (Josephine): "I feel like we met before Leon, am I right?" she said extending her hand to salute him.

Director Vance: "Indeed we met before Ms. Shepard"

Jenny (Josephine): "So that's my last name, it feels like it just suits me better than Sullivan"

Director Vance started reading a file which contented information about Jenny and started telling her what she wanted to know.

Director Vance: "Please take a sit, I'm going to brief you about yourself, I know you have a lot of questions, but for now let me tell you some things about you and after I finish I'll be answering your questions if that's okay with you" He has that steel look in his eyes, she could read him well but wanted information about herself so she looked at Rachel Cranston who actually nodded and the three of them took a sit to listen to Vance.

Director Vance: "Jennifer Shepard, you come from a wealthy family. You mother died in your early years, she was a journalist at one of the most prestigious newspapers in DC. Your father Colonel Jasper Shepard was Navy, was an official working at the Pentagon.

Since he was travelling around the world regularly he enrolled you in Foxcroft Boarding School. During your years there you joined the International Club and the Current Events and Debate Club, also sports as riding, softball, yoga and dancing. You had a very active life at school. After it you attended Georgetown University obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Government Studies, then a Master of National Security Law and; finally, a Dual Master Degree in International Affairs and Law, quite impressive Miss Shepard. Your father would be very proud of you, unfortunately he died in a car accident."

Vance tried to sound quite literal when he was reading the brief to Jenny but Jenny was intuitive, she noticed when Vance was referring at the death of her father his left eye looked at Rachel instinctively, as if he was trying to make sure the story was believable, which Jenny found odd, however she kept listening to what this man was saying.

Dr. Cranston: "Would you like to ask something to Mr. Vance or you would like him to continue"

With a nod and gesturing her hand as a wave she said…

Jenny (Josephine): "Go on please"

Director Vance: "Well, after your successful years at college NCIS recruited you to be an Agent"

Jenny (Josephine): "Excuse me? NCIS? As Naval Criminal Investigative Service?"

Dr. Cranston just raised her left eyebrow, just to point out Jenny was indeed attentive to Vance, he also was impressed, normally after what Jenny had been through he would have forgiven her if she didn't know what NCIS stands for.

Director Vance: "I see… you're aware of who was you've been working for the last twelve years, that's good. You were assigned to one of our best teams and you've worked with them for a long time, then you were offered your own team and worked abroad in Rota, Marseille and Cairo, finally getting back to Quantico, DC as Head of the agency". At that sole comment, he felt her stare firm and direct, as if he was the one taking her job from her which was actually a fact but not by his request.

Jenny Shepard: "I understand you are the one with my job right now?"

Director Vance: "Not by request, I was needed due to some unfortunate events you've experienced in the past"

Jenny Shepard: "Look Leon, I sense you're a decent guy and even you look lost and very pale, I can tell you're a strong man. For the last six years I've been thinking a lot about myself, about what could've happened to me to be in these circumstances, I know my recovery has been not only physically painful but emotionally exhausting but if you could cut to the chase and tell me what I really want to know it'd be really helpful"

By then Dr. Cranston was half smiling because she knew Jenny would be anxious to get as much information as she could from the one in charge and was enjoying the expression in Leon Vance's face when he was felling kind of trapped by Jenny.

With Jenny's last statement, Leon Vance smiled a little and continued…

Director Vance: "Oh Shepard! I've really missed having these arguments with you. Well, let's continue. To tell you the truth, I don't know very well the details of what happened to you, only what's in the file but I'll tell you anyways. As Director of NCIS you got back to Quantico to find your old partner Leroy Jethro Gibbs in charge of the Major Case Response Team which allowed you two to work with each other again, this time you in charge and he following orders. Do you remember him?"

Jenny Shepard: "Ahem… I… I don't. I mean, I don't remember what was my job about, I mean, I remember my days at school and college but then everything is kind of blurry, it' like if my mind would be blocking some parts of my life"

Dr. Cranston: "That's perfectly normal Jenny, it'd take some pictures and more details to fully remember how was your life, your job, everything regarding who you really were"

Director Vance: "She's right. I will prepare some material for you to look at. Some files from old cases you were part of so you would be able to remember almost all your steps"

Jenny Shepard: "I'd appreciate your concern. I've been told I'll be leaving to go to other location. Will Rachel come with me?"

Director Vance: "She'll go with you and will stay for a while and then you'll meet a friend… I mean colleague of hers to continue with your sessions"

Jenny Shepard: "Why couldn't she be the one in charge of all my sessions?"

Dr. Cranston: "Because my specialty remains in the emotional side of people and my colleague specializes in topics about Political Intelligence and Strategy which is what you'll need later"

Jenny Sheppard: "I see…"

Director Vance was observing Jenny Shepard so carefully because even she didn't remember some things he knew she will get to the point of having her whole life back. He was very interested in Shepard as he was always calling her back in those years because her assertiveness and intelligence was quite rare and he felt it wasn't fair for him to be in the position of Director of NCIS without fighting the spot with the fearless and brave Shepard. Jenny was also observing him. He looked so tired and so serious about her recovery, he seemed interested in her recovery very much, he was the one behind all the efforts to make her feel well. She started questioning why this man would be willing to go through so much effort for her, what was that about? Director Vance: "Well Shepard, seems you'll have a lot of things to do to go to your next destination, so I won't keep you busy. I've told you all I have in the file about you and as I promised I'll prepare a file with old cases and pictures for you to help remember what you used to do in NCIS. With that Director Vance shook hands with her as a professional gesture and mostly an assurance everything will be back to normal if that was possible. Jenny was intrigued about that man, she didn't want to waste too much time thinking about him but at the same time for some odd reason she couldn't trust him at all, her gut which was something she rediscovered was telling her to not trust that man at all and she was willing to give her gut a try. 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I don't know what have happened with the format in my computer. This is the third time I'm trying to post this. I really do appreciate the ones who actually are taking the time to let me know about this problem.

I know my update is quite delayed but I'm in the middle of some businesses that consume my time in a way I hate sometimes. Anyway, I managed to watch Season 11 from Episode 1 to Episode 5 but only once so there are things not clear in my mind regarding the reaction of the team about Ziva's departure so if there's something not accurate to what happened to the show, don't be mad. I just didn't remember or my mind tried to create something else.

The arrangements for Jenny were ready for her departure to Paris with Rachel Cranston in a Private Jet that Vance took care of previously, she was a little bit anxious until Dr. Cranston told her where was she going to, she felt some sort of tranquility knowing that Paris would be her city of residence for the next weeks, months, who knows?

Back in NCIS Headquarters…

Gibbs couldn't believe Dinozzo was incapable of finding Ziva, he didn't buy it, he wanted to interrogate Dinozzo about it but, then, when he looked at the disappointed look in Tony's eyes, he knew, he knew she wasn't coming back, at least not for a while. That was the way Ziva cope with whatever she has to, it wasn't the first time he knew something like that could happen with her. She was fearless and wild but deep inside she was this sensible woman trying to cope with the atrocities her father exposed to some time ago.

The days passed by, most of them in a loud silence if that's possible. Tony was being on time every day, doing as much paperwork as he could, trying to get his mind off her, McGee was oddly quiet too, looking at his best friend who he thought as a brother all sad and quiet, not a single movie reference, not a single nickname for him, just silence. Sometimes Abby was trying to cheer them up without success, sometimes McGee was down at her lab just to change scenarios because the silence between Gibbs and Tony was shocking him in a way sometimes unbearable.

Gibbs was about to lose it with Tony's reaction regarding Ziva's departure. It wasn't as she was dead. However, in order to make him wake up he needed to face that possibility because with Ziva you never knew.

Gibbs: "Dinozzo" no answer… "Dinozzo!" still no answer… "DINOZZO!"

Tony: "Yes… Boss?"

Gibbs: "What are you doing?"

Tony: "Some paperwork Boss. Don't want to be delayed with it"

Tony's way of coping was doing his work with diligence and being on time which annoyed Gibbs in a way that was not aware of. He stood up next to Tony's desk and asked again…

Gibbs: "What are YOU doing?"

Tony: "I told ya, some paperwork."

Gibbs: "You need to let her go" he said with as a matter of fact look in his eyes.

Tony was now annoyed that his Boss, the man he thinks of as a father to him, the man he once pictured would walk Ziva down the aisle to marry him, couldn't believe was the same man asking him to forget her.

Tony: "You know Jethro? You all act as she was dead, but she's not, she's very much alive trying to get back on track with her life, trying to find a way of getting back to the point in which she felt proud of what she was doing instead of thinking only evil things surround her and the people she love"

Gibbs had to low his defenses to get through Tony, he knew him for a very long time and if he wanted to make him accept the fact she might not return in a very long time he needed to calm down a bit and start talking… He put a hand in Tony's shoulder reassuring his understanding…

Gibbs: "Son, Ziva will heal in her own, it might take months even years, she is the only one who knows that. I don't want to see you waiting for something that might take a while"

Tony knew Gibbs was right, he needed to focus in the job, to make the feeling less painful and to make sure the team remains almost the same, he just needed to cope, he needed to be heard from the people he consider his family, he needed to talk, about her, to think about her, even a little bit. He knew Gibbs wasn't a man who love talking and since he preferred to bury his feelings towards Shannon, Kelly and Jenny, he knew he would never understand what Tony was being through, or maybe he would but preferred to stay away from it.

He just told his boss... "Ziva is my Shannon Boss"

Gibbs just said "I know"

With that, both agents just stayed in silence for the rest of the afternoon.

Meanwhile McGee was down in the lab trying to figure out why was Abby mad, he knew he hadn't done anything to upset her but still he was concerned about Abby…

McGee: "Hey what are you mad?"

Abby: "I hate when something changes the dynamic of the team!"

McGee: "I hate that too but sometimes there's nothing we can do"

Abby: "It's always Ziva the one abandoning us. I'm sick of it"

McGee: "I know how you feel, I felt the same, even worse I worked by her side for the last eight years and still she creates this kind of shield around her whenever she wants to deal with her problems alone. There's nothing we can do about it"

Abby: "Tim, this time is different, look how this affected Tony, I mean, we can't let her do this again, she did it 3 years ago when we believed she was dead"

McGee: "Abby, it wasn't her fault, she was kidnapped, tortured and abused. Come on!" Give her a break!" with those words McGee looked at Abby with –as-a-matter-of-fact- look.

Abby: "I guess you're on her side too"

McGee: "I'm not in anyone's side, I just say. She's been through a lot lately, the most we can do is try to support Tony in whatever he wants to do for now"

Abby: "I know!"

McGee: "You shouldn't take it on Ziva, sooner or later she'll be back for good, even if she takes longer than we think"

Abby: "You're right McGee, however I prefer not to talk about her, its painful"

McGee: "Ok, I understand"

With that McGee left the Goth lost in her thoughts, he knew Abby was also hurt and with anger she usually expressed what she felt about all these changes.

Tony was another story, he needed to talk, he needed to express what he truly feels about Ziva being gone. By the time McGee went back to the bullpen it was 7:00pm, McGee knew if he wanted to make Tony talk he wouldn't do it at work.

Tony was about to leave when McGee appeared…

McGee: "Hey Tony!"

Tony: "Hey Tim"

McGee: "Only Tim? Come on man! You can do better than mentioning just my name"

Tony: "Not now Tim, please!"

Just when Tony was about to leave…

McGee: "Hey man, why don't we have something to eat, I'm starving"

Tony: "I don't think so"

McGee: "Come on man! I need to talk and seems nobody is willing to talk about… her…"

Tony: "You sensed the same huh?"

McGee: "So I'm not crazy right?"

Tony: "Nope Timmy, you just miss her same way I miss her too"

McGee: "So? Do we have a deal?"

Tony: "OK Timmy, what do you have in mind?"

McGee: "The dinner next to your place?"

Tony: "Sounds good to me, let's go"

With that, both agents started their respective cars in the dinner's direction, both were lost in their own thoughts, finally they arrived and ordered their meals and started talking…

McGee: "So? You didn't find her in Israel, right?"

Tony: "Nope, I tried"

McGee: "Bullshit! You found her, don't get me started with how I know, I just know!"

Tony looked so guilty but at the same time he was at ease talking about his journey to finally find her, he had this goofy grin in his face that McGee noticed immediately, he was also grinning too, it was so good to be able to finally talk about her…

Tony: "Okay, okay, busted! I found her, after a while of tracking her down"

McGee: "How? She was Mossad with expertise in disappearing, you know?"

Tony: "I guess once you spend a lot of time with her you start thinking like her also"

McGee: "I guess you're right. But tell me, how was that?"

Tony: "At the beginning I asked for help at Mossad, I even had to talk to Adam"

McGee: "You seem annoyed about that Adam. Why?"

Tony: "Long story, let say he took advantage of Ziva's emotional state after her father was killed"

McGee: "Oh. That doesn't sound good"

Tony: "No probie, you never take advantage of a friend in those kind of situations"

McGee: "Who would say Anthony Dinozzo is a decent man?"

Tony: "Hey! I'm a decent man! A little Casanova but decent!" at that statement he had that smirk of –as a matter of fact- look.

With that statement both started laughing, it was good to have a talk with a friend about the Israeli ninja, it was comfortable to talk so easily about her.

McGee: "So? How did you get in touch with Ziva?"

Tony: "It wasn't easy. At first as I was saying, I met Mossad's people, then I met a friend from her childhood"

By then McGee made a face like it was so strange to talk about Ziva's childhood…

Tony: "Yes probie, once she was a child"

McGee: "I didn't mean… I mean… It's rare to talk about her childhood, she never shared"

Tony: "I know, but it took me by surprise, that chick was angry at Ziva because she was Ari's girlfriend. She blamed Ziva for Ari's death. Ziva was supposed to be Ari's Mossad Control Officer. She didn't believe Ziva would have let Americans kill her brother. In her opinion, Ziva let that happen and that's why she was blaming her with his death"

McGee: "WOW, what a friend"

Tony: "I was desperate to find Ziva, those men were after her and I wanted to get to her first and her friend told me she deserved to be killed by those men because Ziva stole the love of her life, why should she help me find her?"

McGee: "Those people have a lot of issues" he said with a matter of fact look in his eyes at the same time he kept eating his soup.

Tony: "Yeah Tim, too much going on over there"

McGee: "You know why I knew you found her?"

Tony: "Shoot"

McGee: "Because in the screen when you were talking your mouth said something while your face expression said otherwise. So I knew it"

Tony: "Oh Timmy, never felt this way before and you know me for the past ten years or so"

McGee: "Tony from the minute Ziva walked into the bullpen I knew there was something special between both of you, it was like an unknown force. I know it sounds corny but…"

Tony: "You're right Probie, I didn't want to sound like an idiot but I felt that way too. Anyway, I met this chick who was mad at Ziva and tell me nothing about how to find her, so I left her and start thinking like Ziva, she was in a self-centered journey, she wanted to redeem herself for all her father's actions, for making her an assassin back in her Mossad days, so if she wanted to go back she needed to start in a place where she was happy, in peace"

McGee: "Yeah, go on"

Tony: "Well, I found out thanks to Adam where the house she was born was and went directly to that place. I knocked and there she was, she had a look I never saw in my entire life, worse than the look she had in Somalia. As much as I wanted to be received with a smile in her face I just found almost the same answer I got in Somalia"

McGee: "Let me guess. How did you find me? Why are you here?"

Tony: "See? You know her too!" By then, Tony was forming a little smile while he was chewing some of his food.

McGee: "I guess you could say so. You know she builds this shell around her and it's hard to get through but you did. She might feel something special towards you Tony, you know that"

Tony: "I know, but that day she was soulless, the look in her eyes was as if she was totally disappointed on herself, I wanted so much to tell her how valuable she already is, how grateful we are of having her but she felt miserable, she felt she was worthless and that was killing me inside probie" By the time Tony was telling McGee all those things his head was hanging down, like there was this weight over his shoulders.

McGee: "I can't believe she thinks so low about herself, I wish I was as confident as she is in the field, I wish I was as courageous as she is, as smart. For example, how many languages does she know for God sakes?

Tony: "If I can recall I asked her once and she told me 'ten including the language of love' she's amazing Tim, the problem is I don't know how to make her understand that"

McGee: "I guess she needs some time to figure it out by her own. You need to have faith in Ziva, every time she left she came in a better way, this time can't be different. Be positive man!"

Tony: "I guess you're right, it's nice to have someone to talk about her, I was nuts with Abby's behavior, Gibbs' silence and don't get me started with Ducky, they all seem to resent Ziva behavior for staying in Israel without a word"

McGee: "Tony, you had the chance to actually see her, to say a temporary good bye, the rest of us haven't had that chance, maybe that's the reason they resent her"

Tony: "What about you probie? Why aren't you resented towards her?"

McGee: "Because I'm like your third wheel guys, I've always been a witness of your twisted relationship. In a way, I know you guys more than you could ever imagine so I see Ziva's behavior kinda normal when it comes to her. I miss her because she's my friend, she cooks deliciously, she's always kind to me and always tries to make me feel good especially when I don't feel that good. She's a good person Tony"

Tony: "Yes, she is"

Tony was smiling as a proud way of saying she picked the right girl. McGee was just observing his friend, he knew she was right for him and if it was in his power to track her down helped by his skills he'll do it, just to make sure Ziva was ok"

Both agents finished their meals and decided to call it a night, both were tired but pleased to be able to talk about the missed member of their team. They promised to have those conversations more often just for the sake of it.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

A/N: If I keep apologizing for the delayed update, I might sound completely hypocritical. The thing is I'm involved in a lot lately and my writing vibe sometimes gets shutdown. So whenever the vibe comes I update. For now seems I'm having some time to write and a bit of inspiration. Hope you still enjoy this fanfic.

Back in NCIS Headquarters…

Vance was preoccupied; he was moving Jenny from America to France, specifically to Paris. He was sure Dr. Ryan would be a perfect fit for the job over there since she has been living in Europe due to recent events involving certain man. However, Jenny wasn't as sick as he thought lately, she was way better and in his opinion, the Medical Team wasn't needed anymore, maybe a visit to the doctor twice a month to make sure everything in her physical condition was ok, but he knew what she needed was a friend, someone to spend time with. On the other hand, he mission of bringing back Ziva failed in all its extend and he knew if Tony Dinozzo wasn't able to bring her back, no one could or that he thought…

Vance decided to keep things with Jenny the way they were, she would be thrilled to be in Paris and, Dr. Cranston would be there to make her feel secure and adapted to the European life nor that Jenny needed much time to do so, just a couple of weeks were enough.

There was something else bugging him, he didn't spend so much time forming Ziva as an agent to lose her for an emotional journey of hers, he also felt he was responsible for Ziva's wellbeing since his friend Eli David died recently and most important since she was the one taking his wife's murderer down. He didn't want Ziva to waste her capabilities and expertise without trying to get her back; it was his turn since Tony failed the task. He knew it wasn't an easy task to do but he also knew he had a key card to play under his sleeve and maybe, just maybe, he could kill two birds with one shot.

Back in Israel…

Ziva was devastated of making Tony leave, she knew he was willing to give up everything and; that was a huge sacrifice he was making in the name of love; that meant the world to her. She felt obligated to be a better person just for her, for him, for what they already have. She knew they didn't have to put what they have a name like "relationship" or "being a couple", it was something they both knew. She was afraid someday he'll be moving on because of the wait but she needed to take that risk, she needed to be emotionally healed to be able to be with him fully. As cheesy at it sounded in her head, she wanted all, the house, the kids, the dog, the family spirit. Somehow, she thought she didn't deserved it but she wanted it all anyways and she wanted all of it with Tony, she was madly in love with that goofy soul and the memories of all those years spent with him were all she had to hold on, specially the last month, when he founded her she was trying to build her usual shield with those questions as: "How did you find me?" "Why are here?" but as usual he crossed her shield and she even played house with him in Israel in the house she was born. She knew if her father would be alive he'll be really pissed at her, but in the end, Eli David knew that man loved her daughter back there when he interrogated him in Mossad Headquarters.

The first days without Tony were the hardest, she was observing her house and everything reminded him, the way they cleaned the kitchen, the way they cooked together, the way they did the dishes together, the long nights talking about books and films, the long nights making love in a supreme way, everything was a reminder of his visit. She cried, cried a lot, for so many reasons but mostly because she felt she was letting slip the love of her life from her hands, she was jeopardizing their happiness and that made her feel worse.

Days turned into weeks and suddenly the sorrow became not only emotional but physical, she started feeling sick, at the beginning was just the feeling of not being able to stand certain smells like orange or chicken soup which was completely rare, however, as the days passed by her skin tone turned pale and she started having those sick little episodes in the morning when it finally hit her, she thought oh no, it can't be happening, not like this, not now, for God sakes what would I do? What are the odds? Maybe is just the flu, maybe I haven't eaten properly, maybe if I just pull myself together and actually take care of myself I will feel better, yeah that is it. Of course all those thoughts were trying to hide the inevitable, after one week of toying with her mind, she finally got the courage to go to another's town pharmacy and buy a Pregnancy Test. She had to drive two or three towns ahead to get one because local small towns didn't have one of those. All the drive to the pharmacy and back she couldn't stop the tears, deep inside she knew, a woman knows, so she was told that but never occurred to her she'll be in such position.

When she got back to her house she rushed to the bathroom because the nauseous wave was just coming and needed the toilet for that matter. She locked herself in the bathroom and do what needed to be done in order to confirm her suspicions, she was indeed pregnant. She couldn't believe it, she couldn't imagine what would she do, how would she face it, she wasn't prepared but who does? She was lost in her thoughts, with tears all over her face, just doing maths trying to calculate if she was 8 or 10 weeks pregnant, because Tony left 8 weeks ago but he stayed almost a month with her, so it could be. The shock was invading her, she started to hyperventilate a bit, and trying to get her composure, she started boiling some water for an herb tea.

Meanwhile… back in The States

Leon called McGee to his office, he needed insight information of Ziva's whereabouts and his gut told him Tony did find Ziva but couldn't make her come back and if someone was Tony's confident, it was Timothy McGee and he needed to push him to tell him what he needed to know. He knew McGee was not only Tony's partner but his friend, it could be said they were more brothers than anything else, so to get the information from McGee without telling Tony was a risk he was about to get.

McGee: "Director Vance"

Leon Vance: "Agent McGee, sit"

McGee's mind was wondering what could he have done to deserve a call from the Director's Office, he was sure he wasn't involved in any cyber trespassing activity in the recent days so he was just clueless of what he was actually doing in the Director's office, he just waited for Vance to tell him.

Leon Vance: "I'm sure you're wondering the reason why I called you in here"

McGee: "As a matter of fact I do"

Leon Vance: "Agent McGee, as you know we're one short and I'm sure this is making the job harder than ever"

McGee: "Well Ziva is a key member in our team and her absence is certainly noticed. But somehow I feel that's not the reason you called me in here"

Leon Vance: "Oh Agent McGee, as always you exceed my expectations. But can I trust you?"

McGee: "Sometimes I asked myself the same question about you" He couldn't believe how direct he became towards the Director, back in his early years as an Agent he was afraid of everything, however Ziva taught him to be direct, concrete and cautious, those advices were well followed by the young agent.

Leon Vance: "McGee, I know Agent Dinozzo found Ziva, I know he says he didn't but he did. However I understand why he is lying, he wanted to make her come back and was unsuccessful and since they are VERY close and not being able to convince her to come back must be his demon"

McGee: "Director I.."

Leon Vance: "I'm telling you what I know not to warn you about Agent Dinozzo state of mind but to seek for help."

McGee: "I don't follow"

Leon Vance: "We take care of our own. Agent David is like a niece to me, maybe she doesn't feel the same way but her father save my ass a couple of times and I feel it's my job to take care of his only child alive."

McGee: "What do you want from me?"

Leon Vance: "I'm pretty sure Agent Dinozzo told you how he located Ziva David and all I want is that location and your mouth shut"

McGee: "But Director he told me as a friend, I can't betray that friendship, so please don't ask me that, pleaaase"

Leon Vance: "The reason I'm asking it's because I want to try to convince her to come back, I'd be in peace if she comes back and heal her emotions here in DC than over there in Israel but for that I need your help and mostly to keep your mouth shut. I don't want to keep Dinozzo's hopes up if I don't succeed.

With that, McGee was convinced if Tony has a chance of having Ziva back Leon Vance could be the man for the job, so he did was he was told wishing for the best outcome.

After having McGee's insight about Ziva's whereabouts. Leon decided to contact Orli in Mossad. He was about to go to Tel Aviv for an ultimate mission, he knew it be hard but also worth the effort. As usual he took the plane of the Navy as a red eyed flight, he needed to get there really soon. He asked Orli to locate Ziva but to be careful, she was asked to only locate her but not be in contact with her, that would be Vance's task.

In Tel Aviv…

Orli was curious about Leon's call. She knew he was close to Eli David, the man she loved and respected, so his efforts to locate Ziva weren't quite rare. On the contrary, as a friend of Eli, he was concerned his only child alive was lost in her thoughts and alone and he wanted that to change.

After a couple of days…

Leon Vance finally got there and Orli received him in Mossad Headquarters giving him the support he needed to go to Ziva's house. He asked to go only with a driver, eh wanted to have a private conversation, not as Director of NCIS and his Agent, but as a friend of Eli David and his daughter.

Back in Ziva's house…

Ziva didn't know which day was or what time it was, she slept like 18 hours due to exhaustion, she never felt that way, so tired, so weak. It was something she needed to get used to due to the current circumstances. Her head was spinning, she thought she wasn't good enough to be a mother, she wasn't even prepared, she was without a family, without the father of the baby, without a job, what would be the destiny of the child? Those thoughts were surrounding her that when there was a knock in the door she didn't even heard it. The knock became louder and she stood up and her defensive way of handling things came back. She stood by the door with a gun in hand, with fearless eyes, she opened the door really slow when a familiar voice said…

Leon Vance: "Miss David?"

Ziva David: "Director Vance? What are you doing here?" She said while opening the door and looking at him with a disbelief face trying to figure out why on earth was he there of all the places.

Leon Vance: "Can I come in?"

Ziva David: "Sure."

While he was entering that dark house, he was studying her, trying to read her. She was expressionless; she looked so pale, like she wasn't taking care of herself. He noticed bags under her eyes, and tiredness in her face. Wasn't the Ziva David he knew back 20 years ago, or the one landing in NCIS years later. It was another person, dark, sad, defeated.

On the other hand, Ziva was trying her best to not look so defenseless, so beaten, without success she hid whatever she was trying to and waited for Leon Vance to start.

Leon Vance: "So? Here we are having an impasse, with you"

Ziva David: "Director I… I resigned in DC, things weren't going the way expected"

Leon Vance: "And that's it? You just give up everything that cost you to be an NCIS Agent? Haven't we treated you well? Haven't we given you what you wanted? A place to stay, friends like family, something permanent?

Ziva was startled of the words Vance chose to tell her how much she was missed. She remember saying almost the exact words to Dr. Cranston when she was being interviewed by her. It wasn't much to ask and now she was throwing away all that for what?

Ziva David: "Director, right now I'm in the middle of something…"

Leon has somehow a special bond with Ziva due to the recent events involving the death of her father and Jacky, Leon's wife, he knew at some point he needed to forget the Director's façade and start to be the concerned uncle or so.

Leon Vance: "Ziva, right now you're in the middle of nowhere. I can't understand why you didn't get back with Dinozzo"

Ziva David: "How do you know that?"

Leon Vance: "That's not important. I just know"

Ziva David: "Look, for now I can't think about Tony, or Gibbs, or NCIS or anything else, I have something I should take care of and don't know what to do yet about it"

By then Ziva's eyes were full of tears, she couldn't control them and so Vance did the only thing he would do with a broken woman in front of him, he stood up and hugged Ziva. At the beginning she was being tense and apprehensive about such a gesture but then she couldn't stop crying and just received the hug and the comfort.

They both stood there for some time, she needed to let it out of her, even if there were only sobs. Leon thought she was being that way because all that had happened with her in the past years, Rivkin, Ray, Somalia, her father, the Parsa thing, it was too much to handle and burying things inside wasn't a good thing to do.

Leon Vance: "Okay, let it all out Ziva, you have to do it to start over"

Ziva David: "I don't have time for that"

Leon Vance was intrigued, he thought he knew what was going on with Ziva but when she started to say things about not having time, it was too late or things like that he was clueless.

Leona Vance: "There is always time to start over"

Her sobs became softer and when she talked again she couldn't help it but touched her belly in a motherly way she didn't even know she had in her.

Ziva David: "Not this time"

Leon raised an eyebrow when she said that, she started sobbing again and Leon just held her because he knew that situation will change her life in such a way, he has kids, he knows.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Some chapters are going to be centered in some characters besides Jenny Shepard in order to put this story together. Hope you don't mind at all. Also, this chapter is short but I promise to update soon.

After Ziva's revelation, another conversation started the one that needed to be done because as she said time was a key in her life now and she needed to make some decisions…

Leon Vance: "Dinozzo did this?"

Ziva David just nodded and said, "We both did it Director"

Leon Vance: "Does he know?"

Ziva David: "No"

Leon Vance: "Are you planning on telling him?"

Ziva David: "Do not know"

Leon Vance: "What are you planning to do?"

Ziva David: "Do not know"

Leon Vance: "Is there something you actually know?"

Ziva David: "I want to keep it"

Leon Vance: "Good. That's a start"

For some reason Ziva was half smiling, she didn't noticed but there she was daydreaming about what her life would be whenever the baby come around" Leon Vance was trying to figure out what to do, he couldn't just leave her there but at the same time seemed she needed some time to figure out what to do.

Ziva's mind just focused again and asked Leon Vance about his purpose of being there

Ziva David: "So what are you doing here?"

Leon Vance: "Well, I was trying to convince you to come to DC or at least to leave Israel for that matter. We need you in NCIS, you're a great agent and after all that you've been through in order to be part of our family I would hate to be all that thrown away but with the latest circumstances I don't know right now"

Ziva David: "What did you have in mind Director?"

Leon Vance: "Look, first of all I want to know if you're going to tell Dinozzo about your situation"

Ziva David: "For now I prefer to avoid that because you know, first three months are very delicate, there's a chance for a miscarriage, and I do not want to give him some news if it happens that way"

Leon Vance: "I understand. So DC is not an option?"

Ziva David: "No"

Leon Vance: "Ziva, I haven't done the paperwork for your resignation because I want to keep you in NCIS…"

Ziva David: "Director I…" interrupting Leon Vance

Leon Vance: "Let me finish and if you still don't want to be a part of us, that's ok"

Ziva David: "Alright"

Leon Vance: "I've been conducting a secret operation in order to keep alive certain someone. This person had a huge accident and because was a key member of certain Federal Agency I was told to keep this person alive by all means necessary. I've accomplished not only to keep it alive but to recover almost 100%. It's been a long road, but the medical team that has been handling the situation is surprised because she was shot several times… in an abandoned dinner" By then Vance was raising his eyebrow looking at Ziva who was processing exactly was she was told, her eyes were growing in surprise, she had not words, just gestures of surprise were invading her.

Ziva David: "Are you trying to say what I think"

Leon Vance: "Yes, it's Director Shepard indeed."

Ziva David: "I cannot believe it. I mean, she was lifeless in a pool of blood. How? When?"

Leon Vance: "First things first. I need someone to take care of Shepard, as a friend, to help her remember things because she has some memory loss, to be her security detail, her friend, her coworker, someone she could trust to full recover. Someone discreet, patient and kind. I think you could do an amazing job and it will give you the time to think what to do"

Ziva David: "I cannot believe Jenny is alive. Where is she?"

Leon Vance: "First your answer. Are you willing to join this special op as an NCIS Agent?"

Ziva thought for a minute and couldn't think of a better idea, she was going to be out of the grid for some time which will allow her to think about her pregnancy, share time with her friend Jenny who she thought was dead and she will be still an agent.

Ziva David: "Yes, I will do it"

Leon Vance: "Well, lets go to Paris Agent Daaaaavid" He knew she was always annoyed when someone say her last name like that but in this moment she was glad it sounded so familiar.

After her answer, Leon Vance asked her to pack her bags without a date of return and to practice her French because she was going to used it in a regular basis. He also debriefed her in her assignment and told her the whole story about saving Jenny; and what have happened in the past five years.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

A/N: I want to thank for the reviews I've received lately, they are all well appreciated. I want to explore that hidden friendship between Jenny and Ziva that in my opinion wasn't explored in the show losing a good opportunity for another plot. Hope I succeed trying to do so.

In Paris…

Jenny and Rachel arrived from her long trip, they were installed in a typical apartment block, which had some stores in the first floor so it wouldn't be a problem to stay mostly inside, it was quite big with three bedrooms, not something common in Paris as Jenny noticed. The apartment was located in a corner, so she had a lot of light in the living room and in most of the bedrooms. She was glad; it was a really nice and cozy place to stay for a while. It had old shelves and a big bookcase ready to be fill, which was her main task after unpacking. The living and dining room had classic furniture for what she was grateful. The sensation of being home was overwhelming her in a way she wasn't expecting. Somehow, she felt the apartment was very familiar to her; some pieces of her mind were coming back bit by bit, like a movie frame by frame.

Rachel noticed how Jenny was observing every inch of the place, she knew from Vance, that the place was a cover location for some operations in the past, and if he wasn't mistaken Jenny lived there for almost six months. Therefore, in his opinion, the place will help her remember more things in less time. Also, because its length it will suit perfectly for the new member of that team. Rachel was informed about a new agent who was about to arrive in order to be the permanent companion of Jenny aside of Dr. Ryan who was going to visit from time to time. Rachel didn't know who was this agent and was intrigued, she was told to tell Jenny what was about to happen and so she did.

Dr. Cranston: "Uhm… I see you really like the place"

Jenny Shepard: "Seems I've been here before. At least, that's how I feel"

Dr. Cranston: "The place is cozy and pretty functional, close to stores and to parks for a nice walk or for coffee"

Jenny Shepard: "Don't you think the place is quite large? I mean for just two people?"

Dr. Cranston: "That's what I thought too but I've been informed there's another agent arriving soon to be your permanent companion. I'll be here for a couple of weeks and then you'll be spending some time with this agent who is going to walk with you to your medical appointments or for some coffee or a walk in the park. Wherever you go."

Jenny Shepard: "Do you know who this agent is?"

Dr. Cranston: "I haven't been informed yet. I'm as curious as you are Jenny"

Jenny Shepard: "Well at least you must know if it's a man or a woman"

Dr. Cranston: "And why are you interested? It's an agent; I don't think it's important if it's a man or a woman"

Jenny Shepard: "It's important because men have different ways of behaving than women".

By then Jenny had this mischievous look in her face. For all she knew she had expended some time in that apartment way before she was shot and she was trying to remember with whom. However, what she remembered was she was in there with a man.

Rachel Cranston was intimidated sometimes by Jenny's curiosity and assertiveness about getting into conclusions. Vance was right, she had already done her job with Jenny but at this point, she needed other kind of support.

Dr. Cranston was in constant communication with Leon Vance, she needed to know more details about the next companion. Leon Vance decided to tell her what was going on because this new agent might need her support also at the beginning…

On the phone…

Director Vance: "Hello Dr. Cranston"

Dr. Cranston: "Hello Director"

Director Vance: "So how's our guest doing?"

Dr. Cranston: "Pretty good, she likes the place; she feels somehow she has been there before. She's trying to remember when and with whom which is progress. She's intrigued about the new agent assigned to her. I'm also intrigued."

Director Vance: "Well, Dr. Cranston, what I'm about to say stays between us. Understood?"

Dr. Cranston: "As always"

Director Vance: "I don't know if you're aware of the last events in my agency, especially with my MRCT, my elite team."

Dr. Cranston: "From what I've been briefed seems you're down one member, I guess Ziva is no longer there".

Director Vance: "Well, that's correct. She resigned due to the Parsa case. She didn't want Gibbs' career to be jeopardized and she was going through a lot after the assassination of her father. She was a wreck and decided to fly to Tel Aviv to seek for solace and peace".

Dr. Cranston: "I can imagine. Last time I spoke to her, she was very emotional about what she wanted in life. I know I'm not supposed to share this with you but you already read her Psych evaluation. She wanted something permanent, something that couldn't be taken away from her"

Director Vance: "Well, I'm sure she has already gotten that"

Dr. Cranston: "I don't understand. What do you mean? Why are we talking about Ziva? She's no longer part of your staff"

Director Vance: "Gibbs sent Agent Dinozzo to look for her and try to get her back. We knew from CIA that some conflicts were being carried out in the next weeks by the Hamas and we were all concerned about her. Dinozzo look for her for almost two months returning empty handed. He said he didn't locate her but the truth was he did locate her but she didn't come back to DC"

Dr. Cranston: "She was grieving all the atrocities she's been through her whole life. Understandable but dangerous. She was going down in a spiral, right?"

Director Vance: "As always, so accurate. Well, AS I said Dinozzo found her in the third week of his searching and spend the rest of the time with her".

Dr. Cranston: "They have always been very close, it was a matter of time and you knew it"

Director Vance: "I don't mind at all. However, he wasn't able to convince her to get back. She asked him to leave her for a while, she needed to get rid of the badge, she was afraid death surrounded her because of how many people she killed under Mossad orders and wasn't sure if she would be able to hold a gun again in her life. She was very conflicted"

Dr. Cranston: "I see. But you haven't answered my question"

Director Vance: "I didn't want to lose Agent David. First, because her father was a friend of mine and saved my ass a couple of times so I feel I owe him. Secondly, she's an excellent agent, she's learned a lot since she came to NCIS as a Mossad Liason Officer. I don't think she should be wasted and what I think she needs is time. Nowadays, she needs a lot of time".

Dr. Cranston: "And you feel since she wants to be far from guns she could be a good fit in here with Jenny"

Director Vance: "Exactly. However, there's another situation. I visited her a couple of days ago and when I arrived she was a mess and I found out she was receiving the news about her pregnancy"

Dr. Cranston: "Oh my!"

Director Vance: "Yes, I've offered her to go to Paris so she'll have time to think about her current situation, she's been debriefed about Jenny's situation and she can't wait to actually see her. She's on her way to Paris. I want to ask you to actually help her, she's willing to do the job so she's staying in the agency but I'm concerned about her also. I didn't mean to give you more work to do over there but I guess since Dr. Ryan is requested in some meeting in Japan and China, she'll be delaying her presence over there for at least a couple of months, so I need you to stay there an asses both situations".

Dr. Cranston: "I'm more than willing to help to make them get better. So we'll have a little Dinozzo over here. This is going to be interesting. A baby with Ziva's and Tony's personality".

Director Vance: "Yeah that'd be like world war three. Anyway, I have to go. I've sent you the details of Ziva's flight, I've arranged a driver to pick her up from the airport, she'll be arriving in the next few hours. Feel free to brief Jenny in the situation in the way you prefer. She may not recognize Ziva at first, Ziva is aware of that, don't worry."

With that, both finished the long distance call. Rachel was in awe of all Leon Vance told her in the phone. It was a situation much unexpected but completely manageable from her point of view. Ziva needed some time to think, Jenny needed some time to full recover, and since Ziva was a part of her life too, both could heal together in a peaceful environment. However, the million-dollar question was Dinozzo, did he knew? She knew better, Ziva at this point is processing the news, she might tell him after a few weeks but not now.

Jenny was curious about Rachel's phone call, so she did what she always do, ask…

Jenny Shepard: "So? What was that?"

Rachel Cranston: "That was Leon Vance. Wanted to check up on you and to inform me more about the new agent."

Jenny Shepard: "So? Who is it?"

Rachel Cranston: "She is Agent David, Ziva David".

Jenny Shepard: "She is not a new one. I've heard that name before"

Rachel Cranston: "Related to Mossad maybe"

Jenny Shepard: "Yes, she's Mossad, isn't she? What is Mossad doing regarding me? Don't like it."

Rachel Cranston: "Wait, don't you remember her? You worked together in a joint operation in Cairo. Hope it helps you remember"

Jenny Shepard: "Young, brunette, sparkling eyes and determination? I guess I'm refreshing my mind"

Rachel Cranston: "There you are… However, she has changed a lot since she placed a foot in NCIS. She's not the same person anymore and after I just found out she'll never be"

Jenny Shepard: "You're scaring me. Is she okay?"

Rachel Cranston: "Physically I guess so, emotionally that's a another story"

Jenny Shepard: "I guess you'll have to help us both then"

With that, both women started to unpack and accommodate themselves before the arrival of the new guest. One bedroom was a larger one and the others were a bit smaller. Rachel advised Jenny to leave the larger one for the new guest; she told her she 'd explain later if it needed to be an explanation after all. She knew Jenny would make her own concussions sooner than expected, that was the way Jenny's mind worked.

A couple of hours passed by, Ziva was picked up by the driver Leon Vance arranged. She felt completely exhausted; she didn't know why because she was used to travel a lot but since she found out she was pregnant, the sensation was strange.

A soft knock announced her presence in the apartment, Rachel decided to be the one opening the door, she wanted to be the familiar face Ziva look for the first time in some time. Jenny awarded in her room because for her was also hard to meet someone she was supposed to know better than a colleague and with the feeling of not remembering her at all was something weird.

Rachel welcomed Ziva with a soft hug, as a way of understanding was what's going on. At the beginning Ziva was surprised about it but then she just give in. She was too exhausted from the long flight besides her emotional state wasn't helping. Although, she was tired she couldn't help but wonder where was she, if she was still injured, if she was able to talk, too many questions without answers. Rachel knew what was going on in Ziva's head and decided to talk…

Dr. Cranston: "Agent David, welcome to Paris"

Ziva David: "It is Ziva, and thank you Dr. Cranston"

Dr. Cranston: "Then Rachel for all purposes, ok?"

Ziva David: "Okay Rachel. Where is Jenny?"

Rachel: "Well, she's in her room, she's fine, I mean physically she's is almost 100% recovered, sometimes she gets tired, sometimes she uses a can, but most of the time she's fine. She remembers you very vaguely. She thinks you're still Mossad, she's not very confident of having you around because she feels she doesn't remember you as of who you are now, she remember your physical appearance but no more than that".

Ziva David: "I understand"

Rachel: "So? How are you?"

Ziva David: "I guess Director Vance has told you about… my condition"

Rachel: "Yes Ziva, that's why I asked how do you feel?"

Ziva David: "I am fine, a bit tired but fine. Morning sickness are around"

Rachel: "I see, well let's wait for Jenny"

Jenny was intrigued about the new visitor. She remember how she looked and knew she was part of her past, but she couldn't remember more. Jenny decided it was time to meet Agent David and she left her room to join her and Rachel…

Jenny: "Well you're the legendary Agent David" she said with half a smile and a curious look in those emerald eyes she still has.

Ziva was in shock, to see her friend all stand up, talking, even with a sense of humor and mystery was a bliss she couldn't help herself but embraced Jenny in a soft hug, just as the one Rachel gave her earlier. At the beginning Jenny was a bit reluctant but when both women made physical contact, she knew in an instant Agent David was more than an agent to her, she was a friend and she will do whatever was in her power to remember all adventures they had together before all that mess came. Jenny was surprised it felt right listening to Ziva's voice; all Ziva could articulate when she hugged Jenny was "Oh Jenny". Jenny listened to a very soft voice of Ziva, she knew she hadn't heard her that way before, Ziva was all tears and instead of being the one comforting Jenny for such experience, it was Jenny the one comforting Ziva. She looked her in the eye and started caressing her face, noticed her hair was cut but still a mess according to her words. Both women started laughing at Jenny's comment about Ziva's short hair. Rachel gave them a moment to get to re-know themselves because everything was so confusing at times…

In the living room…

Ziva David: "Oh my God Jenny! I could not believe it when Director Vance told me. I remember looking at you lifeless in a pool of blood without a pulse. It was shocking, especially for Tony. Remember him?"

Jenny: "I wish I could remember more, I've started to remember when I was an agent, I had missions abroad, mostly here in Europe. I don't remember my partner but Rachel told me we were good friends, very close"

Ziva David: "Oh I am sorry, you are going bit by bit and I am trying to push you without noticing. I am sorry".

Jenny: "Don't apologize; it's a sign of weakness"

Ziva David: "You remember!"

Jenny: "What?"

Ziva David: "Gibbs' rules. That is one of them. He was your partner"

Jenny: "And how do you know him?"

Ziva David: "I have been working with him for the last eight years. He is the boss."

Jenny: "So, that made me his boss?" That mischievous look in Jenny's face made Ziva smile. Jenny raised a bit her eyebrow as a sign of pleasance for that remark. To be your partner's boss must be something big, at least for her. With that she found out something new, she was glad Ziva was finally with the, she knew she'll be helpful to remember the last years before the attack in the dinner five years ago.

Ziva David: "I am just glad you are alive jenny. I have missed you so much. Really."

Jenny: "Thank you Ziva. I wish I could say the same but my mind is playing games with me at all times and sometimes I just keep staring a blank point just to try harder to remember things"

Ziva David: "It is going to take some time and I have all the time in the world"

Rachel: "Before we go further into remembering territory I guess you need to say something to Jenny, Ziva?"

Ziva David: "Well there is no other way to say this but, I am pregnant, I just found out and that is why Director Vance is sending me here, to be able to think about things also."

Jenny: "I guess that's wonderful, isn't it?"

Ziva couldn't help it but started to cry again, this time because the emotional pain was too much. She was worried for not telling Tony about the baby, she was sad because she felt her life was a mess and the uncertainty was killing her.

Jenny: "Okay Ziva, from your reaction I say you don't have a clue of what to do, right?"

Ziva just say no silently. Rachel embrace her with one arm when she sat next to Ziva and Jenny with all the concern a mother will talk to her daughter she made eye contact to her and said:

"The fact that you're here trying to work things out tells me you want that baby, right?" Ziva just nodded, so Jenny keep talking to her "in order to do that you must stop crying because that hurts the baby and start keeping yourself healthy okay?" Ziva nodded, so she kept talking "Here with Rachel we'll take care of you and your baby. You don't have to worry about anything or anyone else, okay?" Ziva just nodded again.

It was Rachel's turn to talk…

Rachel: "So Ziva, tell me. Does the father know?"

Ziva: "I do not think he wants kids of his own, so no"

Jenny: "But don't you think he deserves to know?"

Ziva: "Look, I have suffered a lot of injuries, especially when I have been tortured because the worst way of torturing a woman is…"

Jenny: "Enough. We understand, but what's your point?"

By then Ziva formed tears in her eyes again, it was too painful to talk about her time in Somali and how Saleem and his men raped her to make her talk about NCIS, however she decided she needed to let it out and this was the time to do it… between sobs she just said:

Ziva: "Since I have been raped several times in Somalia, I was told by the OB/GYN doctor in Bethesda that I might not get pregnant ever, that I was too damaged inside to properly handle a pregnancy. Now that I found out about my pregnancy, I am afraid I could have a miscarriage. So if there is a possibility of it I would rather not tell the father until I am 100% sure the pregnancy will last nine months"

Rachel: "I understand but remember, the longer you take in telling the father that hardest will be. Besides he will be thrilled, don't doubt about that"

Jenny: "I guess you must be tired and there have been enough questions for the night. Let's put your luggage in your room and later we'll have tome tea and bagels.

With that, both women helped Ziva with her luggage and waited for her to get more comfortable to eat and drink something.

Rachel confirmed Vance about Ziva's arrival and how it went with Jenny. She knew, both women will find comfort in each other presence and that was something good.


	11. Chapter 11

Back in NCIS Headquarters…

McGee wasn't feeling good about giving Vance the information he asked for. He felt he was betraying Tony and that's wasn't a good thing. However, he thought if it was for a better outcome, he was right taking that risk.

Of course, having this kind of approach to the Director would be in his benefit because he wanted to know if he finally convinced Ziva to come back. If it was the case he wanted to be the one telling Tony that, so he decided to go to Vance's office to ask him personally.

Agent McGee was announced by Cinthya, and he knocked the door a bit soft and entered.

Director Vance: "Agent McGee? What do I owe such a visit?"

McGee: "Uhm… Director I… I wanted to ask you something"

Director Vance: "Go ahead, but I'm inclined to guess it's about Agent David?"

McGee: "Yeah. I mean is she coming back? Because we miss her. Not only Tony but I do. And well? How was that?" the agent was curious, deep inside he knew if Tony wasn't able to make Ziva get back, Leon Vance would be less successful at that task unless there's a miracle.

Director Vance: "Well, I couldn't convince her to come back to DC" he said with a defeated tone of voice. He wanted to have Ziva back in DC and back to the team if at this point she could only do desk work, which was better than having her far away.

McGee: "I'm not surprised. When Ziva makes her mind, she makes her mind. Besides if Tony didn't I guess you were less convincing".

Director Vance: "Agent McGee, at least have a little faith in this old man. I convinced her to not leave NCIS. However, in order to stay she asked to be assigned abroad and so I did"

McGee wasn't happy at all. He thought at least she's still an NCIS Agent, but why does she want to be far away from their team. They were supposed to be a family. He resented her decision, especially because it was affecting Tony in a way he hasn't seen before, So he thought she was being selfish with that decision. He needed to ask more, at least, after betraying Tony at least he was entitled to…

McGee: "But, why? We haven't done anything against her to reject us that way" by then McGee was pissed and Vance noticed that.

Director Vance: "Agent McGee I recommend not to take her decision in such way. She's been through a lot lately. People have different ways of coping. Maybe she doesn't want all of your to see her grieving, maybe she wants a fresh start for a while to be able to face her own demons. I'm giving her the opportunity to do that in an NCIS office abroad. I'm sure she'll be safe, and for now that was my main priority and I'm sure if Agent Dinozzo would know he'll agree".

McGee: "So are you telling Tony this?"

Director Vance: "Look, as much as I would like to make you stop digging I know you won't. You'll be looking for Ziva's location and eventually you'll give it to Dinozzo. Let's do something different, ok?"

McGee: "What do you have in mind?"

Director Vance: "Well, what about I give you Ziva's number and you track it down from time to time to make sure everything is ok. You might get some sensitive information about the mission she's being part of, nothing harming but sensitive and if you do, you must know that's CLASSIFIED. You can't divulge that information no matter what you get to know. Understood?"

McGee: "Not even Gibbs? Or Tony'"

Director Vance: "Look son, whenever you get the chance to know that information believe me, you don't want to be the one divulging it. You'll get to your own conclusions"

McGee: "I'm not sure. I mean I'll be lying Tony and Gibbs and Abby and everyone"

Director Vance: "McGee, this is when you are needed the most. You practically will be in control of the information about it. You'll also be in control of her safety and the one's around her. That's a huge responsibility. You'll be informing directly to me about it. I don't want anyone else involved. You have to be careful about it, ok?"

McGee: "Fine, but I'm not okay with this but I'll do it, just for Ziva".

With that, McGee exited the room with a million thoughts. How would be lie to Tony in his face? How would he face Gibbs whenever this explode? Because if he was sure about something, that was both men will be really pissed with him for holding information from them. On the other hand, Ziva always got his back, always teaching him how to be better in the field, how to be confident about his skills, how to deal with Tony when he was being a pain in the ass. She was more than a coworker, she was like a sister to him. How couldn't he help her in such difficult moments?

McGee was evidently conflicted about his meeting with Vance, he didn't notice Tony was observing him from downstairs. Tony knew something was going on with his Probie, as he was fond to call him during the years. Of course he knew McGee wasn't a Probie anymore but for Tony he was McGee's Mike Franks and he was glad about that.

However, he wanted to find out what was bothering him so he asked:

Tony: "Hey McWorried, what's going on?"

McGee thought, at least the nicknames are getting back, its progress… He needed to think about something quickly or Tony would notice any lie he says

McGee: "I had a talk with Director Vance about my chances of getting some days of vacation"

Tony: "Shouldn't you be talking with the boss'"

McGee: "I guess I wanted to know what Vance thought about it since we're one agent down"

That phrase was totally uncalled because he knew Tony would feel like shit at the remark of Ziva being gone but it was necessary to get rid of Tony scrutiny.

Tony: "Oh, I guess you're right " with that Tony just went to his desk, defeated with the thought of replacing Ziva. He didn't want anyone to occupy that desk. It was hard when Kate was killed and Ziva came, but in few days she gain her place in the team and of course she earned that desk all these years. In his opinion, no one could fit so well in the team other than Ziva.

Since McGee was the one in charge of the information details about Ziva, he decided to do that job back home in his own computer, he has access to all the database and encryption sources from there, so he wouldn't jeopardized whatever mission Ziva was accomplishing and mostly he wouldn't be caught by Tony of Gibbs.

McGee's place…

McGee was eager to get into his computer, if something was a key in the young agent was his extreme curiosity to find out things. In fact, that curiosity makes him the agent he is nowadays with an impressive career in NCIS.

Vance gave him Ziva's new cellphone number, as million thoughts were crossing Tim's mind, his computers were turning on and logging secretly into NCIS, FBI, CIA and NSA systems. If he was about to do this at least it was good Vance got him not only clearance but special encrypted codes to access there.

As usual there was a search bar waiting to be fill by the golden number of mysterious Ziva David cellphone, as he typed those numbers, the search engine started its search and in no time a map just popped up in his screen with a weird location. Ziva was not in Israel, she was in Europe, specifically in Paris. He was confused, a couple of weeks before she was supposed to be in Israel, Tony said it, he regretted leaving her there but that's what she asked for, she wanted to explore her roots, to find peace, to mourn her father's death. How can she possible do that in Paris?

Well, if he was apprehensive about finding out where was Ziva and why the rest of the team wasn't allowed to be informed about Ziva's whereabouts, now he was convinced something was going on and if someone would be in charge of all the information about it, better be him than anyone else.


End file.
